491 - Should you plant onions in the fall?

Planting onions in fall might give you an earlier harvest than you thought possible.

If you garden in Zone 7 or warmer, overwintering onions may help you harvest sooner, reduce bolting, and spread your onion harvest across several months.

In this episode, I'm sharing what happened when I tested fall-planted onions in my Zone 8a Arkansas garden and how to decide whether this method could work where you live.

Free Download: Onion Quick-Start Growing Guide

Learn how to choose the right onion type for your location, get your planting timing right, and grow bigger, healthier onions.

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Key Takeaways

• Decide if fall planting fits your climate.

• Choose onions for your day length.

• Plant smaller transplants to reduce bolting.

• Protect onions during extreme cold.

• Extend your harvest into three months.

Chapters

00:00 – Why I tried fall onions
01:07 – Who can plant in fall
02:56 – My first fall onion experiment
04:42 – How onions handled winter
06:46 – Raised beds vs. greenhouse
09:11 – Harvest onions earlier
11:31 – Extend your onion harvest
13:56 – Why fall onions bolt less
16:09 – Choose the right transplant size
18:26 – How hardy are onions?
20:43 – Consider zone and latitude
23:06 – Colder-zone considerations
25:21 – Plan your garden space
27:39 – Try onions from seed
28:54 – Is fall planting worth trying?

Resource Links

Onion Quick-Start Growing Guide: Learn the basics of choosing and growing onions for your garden.
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Onion Growing Trials YouTube: Did it work? Click to find out: https://youtu.be/vfR2G8daLXE?si=v1_Ed_K-z2o7j6mL 

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Disclaimer

Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance.

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