Dibble

When to plant Onion

Start onion seeds indoors 10 weeks before last frost, or use sets. Transplant 2 weeks before last frost, onions are hardy and size up with cool early growth.

Type: VegetablesSun: Full sunWater: Moderate waterDays to maturity: 100Spacing: 4"Hardiness: Hardy

Download on the App Store

When to plant Onion by zone

ZoneStart seeds indoorsSow or transplantHarvest
Zone 3March 6May 1August 9
Zone 4March 1April 26August 4
Zone 5February 19April 16July 25
Zone 6February 10April 7July 16
Zone 7January 30March 27July 5
Zone 8January 17March 14June 22
Zone 9December 21February 15May 26
Zone 10November 22January 17April 27
Zone 11October 23December 18March 28

These dates use typical frost dates for each zone. Dibble tunes them to your exact ZIP and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.

Companion plants

Good neighbors for Onion:

CarrotBeetLettuceTomato

Better kept apart:

Bean (bush)Pea

Family and rotation

Onion is in the alliums family. Light feeders that deter pests. Good rotation partners; keep away from beans and peas. Learn about crop rotation.

Related crops

Garlic

When to plant

Chives

When to plant

Leek

When to plant

Green Onion

When to plant

Shallot

When to plant

Tomato

When to plant

Questions

When should I plant onion?

It depends on your zone. Onion is a hardy crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and enter your ZIP to get your own calendar.

How long does onion take to grow?

About 100 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 14 days after that.

What grows well with onion?

Good companions include Carrot, Beet, Lettuce, Tomato. Keep it away from Bean (bush), Pea.


Plant at the right time this season

Dibble builds your calendar in under a minute. Free to start, no account needed.