They Called Me Crazy For Planting Onions This Way But it Works! 

I discovered this trick by accident. After planting some seeds, I spilled some. I just left them there. Later I discovered I could separate the small plants, just as you did. 🤗. Half of the things I learn are by accident.

I can’t stress enough how helpful you are. I genuinely appreciate the work you put into your videos for us 😊

To determine the spacing for my onions, I use a softball. I put it on the soil just enough to barely outline the ground, I move it over and do it nearby so the edges just touch each other. I then plant the onion in the center of the print. I'm guessing it probably works out to about 3 inches.

I tried this method last year in 2022 and it worked great! I actually transplanted my seedlings a lot further along. They had actually started to form bulbs when I transplanted them. It wasn't intentional I just couldn't find the time to transplant them. I was actually thinking about giving up hope of transplanting them. But I found sometime eventually and decided to give it a try anyway. Almost every last transplant gave me a decent sized onion. I think I lost about 2 transplants, but I believe that was because I didn't get enough water to that area of the garden bed. I don't recommend transplanting them that late, but I just decided to go ahead because I had already put in the time and effort to keep them alive that long. And it worked out great. Now I didn't get super large onions but I would say they were about the same size that you buy in the supermarket

I usually use a large aluminum serving dish to plant out my onion seeds. I find it much easier to pull them apart and a little more space so they get a better head start over using seed cells

I’m watching this energetic and enthusiastic video 04-04-20, about 3 weeks into the pandemic. Great videos.

I hope I don’t jinx myself by posting this, but this is the first year my onions are doing excellent! I’m beside myself😜 Onions are a condiment to us, so I planted red and sweet onions. Did I fail to mention how well they are doing?! I’m so excited!

Thank you Luke. This was super. I sent this idea to my friend in Ireland. She’s got a lot of space for her onions. What a time and space saver!!! I love your videos. They are a super help. Due to the garlic video, I got 8 plants this year. 8 more than I had to buy organically in a shop!!! Bargain!!! 8, you are probably rolling your eyes and laughing. For my first trial, a huge success…. On and up!! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤩

I've been gardening for 12 years, and I've always let Mother Nature take her own path! I start my (annual) plants about a month before the last Frost of the year, and then sit them out for another month as to "warm up" to the weather conditions outside🌄☁️🍃🌧️🍃🌩️.. Don't worry about plants seemingly not growing correctly🥀, because as soon as the weather starts to remain in the 60's, they'll take off like dandelions and cattails 😆💪💪🌱🌷🌼🌺🌻🌹🌳🌿

Thankyou. I’ve been getting to know the onion for the past five years of regrowing kitchen scrap green onions. This is the most rewarding gardening experience I’ve ever had. I’m currently transitioning to starting from seeds. Growing leeks and onions in the cold wet months is some kind of magical zen anxiety reducing drug free anti depressant behavior that is very habit forming and healthy af.

Great timing on this one. I've got my onions going in tomorrow. lol

I'm in FL... but I will! So far, your "tricks" have worked well for this novice gardener! Thank you!

You make me happy too! You have a great attitude and a beautiful vibe man. A wealth of information, thank you. Keep being who you are and doing what you’re doing! So great!

Love your warm Spring day energy and yes, paying attention to the weather more than our seed packet dates or our own dates in our mind is so important!

Having your roots in water when you separate them helps prevent tearing. I think that is more than three inches.

This is my first year growing chives. I decided to grow it since we never seem to find them in stores. This video was so helpful

Every year I return to your channel for onion sowing advice. Thank you!

I was a little apprehensive to start my onions inside but this seems to be the way to do it. I get nervous to separate because of the fragile roots but you are correct, they pull apart so easily

UK. I really love these vids where the measurement is given in good old feet and inches,

You are so right about spring being about 4 weeks late. Up here on the west coast of Canada it is the same thing. Thanks for the encouragement about getting the garden in when the soil is ready, not when I'm ready.

Love your passion for gardening and love that your willing to share your knowledge! Thank you young man!

Started growing onions from seed last year after viewing your videos. Never will go back to sets. Will try to grow out some seedlings as sets to over winter then hope to get seeds from my fave heirlooms. Once again, using your videos for reference. Thanks.

Instead of tearing your onions apart run water from an outdoor faucet over the root ball leaving only roots so they are unmolested. You can also dunk the root ball up and down in a bucket of water until you have root only.

Great tips! I haven’t grown onions from seed in years due to the faff of transplanting first into modules. You’ve inspired me to try again next year with this easier way 👍🏼

Just bought your book so excited can’t wait to read it. We live here in South Georgia and I think I’ve finally talked my husband into building us some raised beds

You answered a bunch of "I didn't know that" questions for me ; thanks !!!!

This is exactly the kind of information I am interested in. This is a brilliant idea, save space in the greenhouse, and in the garden, get the harvest. Excellent results. I'm so glad you had this information and the platform to share with us. Thank you. I've never grown onions. We are temporarily in an apartment. Recently moved from 2 acres in KY to VA. I grew many things, mostly flowers, tomatoes, herbs. It will be a year before we are ready to buy, find and area, the right house with enough property, what we want and need. I am learning about some of the vegetables I most want to be able to stop buying at the grocery store. Potatoes, onions, greens, many others. Also wnat to stop buying eggs and chicken. Any success will be because of your content and some others on Utube. Many thanks.

I try to plant in a triangular pattern which also allows you to plant a little closer together. For the bulb onions I can see spacing them out, but for bunching onions you can pretty much just mark out a square area and broadcast them. Shallots of course need slightly more space though I've never learned to use them.

Bought a 6 cell tray of onion seedlings that had maybe 10ish per cell, it was so easy to detangle them. The roots were strong, and kinda reminded me of tangle-free headphones. They kinda just glide out of each with a small tug, a tug you feel comfortable doing after the first couple because you realise they aint too fragile

My first year growing onions by seed and I'm SO geeked!! Thank you so much for this easy to follow video.

I love your energy and love how passionate you are about your garden, I can tell you truly enjoy being in your garden, & I absolutely love that! Thank you for the info! ♥️

I'm so glad I found this video now before spring. I've been rummaging through your past videos as I plan my 2022 garden! I wanted to ask where I might find seed starting trays like the one in this video? I'm so glad I found your channel! It's really helped me up my gardening game!

Thank you! I bought seeds for this season, but I’ve been a bit hesitant as many make it sound incredibly complicated. I’ve only used seed onions thus far. This will definitely simplify things. It actually feels doable now.

This has been THE most informative video I have come across on onions. I've tried for a handful of yr to grow them w never much success. Now I see where I went wrong. I was planting just a bit too deep while they were babies.

I did this with my onions this year. First year I have grown onions. It was so simple to separate them. Some of them did die but I think it was because I planted them all and some of them were weak ones. Also, I think I need to get a heat mat. I just had the grow light, so I think next time around with a heat mat as well will work out much better. But some are growing, so … yay!! :D

That's how my pawpaw taught me to start mine. I collect my seeds from onions. Waste not want not.

the first few sunny days are very excellent, i agree. I'm a big fan of planting "too close together" and it really works for most everything IMHO. if it feels right, i do it!

Yep 👍 I’ve been planting them the same way for years. Works great

This is amazing info. This make my seedling process so much simpler and take up way less of my grow light space

I nearly did the same with my onions! Clusters of 2 all over. Just started a garden series too, High Desert style! Thanks for the great content

I divided onions slightly bigger than this yesterday and yep, I noticed that the roots hardly tore at all, even when it was tangled. Today they look great. My only problem is high desert heat. My shade cloth last year helped a lot so hopefully I will have lovely onions this year. Your onions look great!

Suggested topic - how you rotate your crops from year to year.

I'm happy this popped back up in my feed! My onion starts are just about to this point. Thank you for the refresher! Blessings!💜

You get top marks living with your living lawn whilst your neighbour mows in the background - classic! I have a weird split season here in France and need to get loads out now otherwise it will be decimated by the sun!

I planted my onions exactly like you are doing, they started out as threads and now they have more than doubled in size. So fun!!! TY

Thank you. I dont know my onions ,so this is helpful. Just to cover this 1 plant. I love the tip about dirt in the bulb.

You are so right im planting late in east tx its still storming today got my spot tilled cause i have to start over we moved in sept march is typically when u plznt tomatoes ive planted late many times and always got something and theres fall gardening its all good

I really enjoy your excellent videos - they really have helped with my garden. I'm posting this in March 2020 and, guess what, the weird weather just keeps on coming! It's really not a mystery if you research grand solar minimum info! Recent weather patterns have followed similar patterns from the early 20th century. It's related to the grand solar minimum that we have been recently entering. Some researchers think we might be entering a more severe Dalton or Maunder minimum. This comparison to other periods of reduced solar activity also covers recently severe locust plagues, some rebuilding glaciers and arctic ice, and other events. Look it up and keep producing such great gardening videos!

I do similarly. However, I crumble the soil around the roots to start with, as this avoids the problem of tearing the roots. I make a shallow trench and lay the onions on the "V" of the trench, then backfill when they are all in place. This works very well for me, especially having sandy soils where newly germinated seeds can dry out if there is sudden hot weather, and where ants carry the seed away.

That was a super video on planting onion seedlings. Thankyou

I've alway planted onions from sets and decided to research growing from seed, I never expected to find a video that told me to sow more than one onion seed (prior video to this one) per pod. This is great and I will be trying this this season.

Such a relaxing and informative video. You have good healthy vibes

I'm trying again! Really have not had success with germination! But I'm really glad to have seen this video! Awesome

It's so cool to seehow your channel grew so much since I worked at Larry's orchids

Great info Luke I am going to start from seed next year I have never done it that way but i am getting geared up to get be able to start my own seeds I usually use starts But its time to expand my knowledge..and be ready for the day there is no nursery here in my hometown to get them and when you live 4 hours from the nearest town well you can imagine my dilemma....Love your channel thanks for sharing

We've had similar weather patterns in the UK over the last few years. Last summer we had months of heatwave with hardly any rain and this spring has been cold for the time of year. Great video as always.

I’m so jealous... I wanted to work in the garden today with it FINALLY being nice.... but I got called into work. Love the videos!

thanks Luke.. spring is here which means you are here too!

Just rewatched! Thanks MI Gardener!

you could probably donate the leftover seedlings to a community food bank? I did that with my extra tomatoes and I encourage my neighbor kids to garden in buckets as well as help me in my garden. They get to take home veggies later when they help me out and they like to try new things.

awesome glad you finally got to plant your onions I look forward to seeing them when there ready to harvest

GROW BIG GROW AT HOME new slogan =) you are a little behind, our onions looking BIG already .... great tips

You are perfectly right! I tried your method with very good results! Thank you very much!

I would soak them in water before separation. It helps not to demage roots, although onions are tolerant to such damage as the presenter stated

Don't try to fight it. :) Thanks for that. I had wanted to transplant my walking onions and elephant garlic this weekend, but I got sick, and it rained, too. I couldn't mow the grass, either, for the same reason. I was feeling bad about it, but I guess it can wait until next weekend, after all.

Good video, I'll remember this when I plant onions.

We are about 3 to 4 weeks behind as well. We do our onions the same way, except I cut my tops before planting and I also break about 1/2 the root off as well. I love seeing how others plant. Thanks for sharing!

Gifted gardener & gifted teacher/sharer of how to. 👍 🔔

Great information thanks I'm going to try growing onions my first time ever but in grow bags

I am so glad I have onions left in the seed tray, think I might have planted the ones in my beds a little too deep. Thank you.

Loved the onion tips in this.

Thank you Luke I didn't know that about 1st leaf n bulb I will so be doing your method this year 😀

Soil temps 45°. Planted peas yesterday. The garlic "seeds" I planted last fall are two inches tall. Going to go get some onion and leek seeds today and try planting them in the ground today.

I love your videos. I love 💘 your enthusiasm and happiness. Thanks.

Planting late can limit your harvest. As long as you can protect from frost, not a problem to plant early in my experience.

What kind of tray is that? My trays are more floppy. I like the way yours does not bend or crack as you are holding it.

"Impossible is still possible for some people" LOL! 😂😂💀

Right now your awesome wisdom and guidance in gardening is TRULY appreciated!

Excellent information, Luke. Thank you! I have high hopes for my onions this season now that I've seen what I did wrong last season. I always learn so much from you. I'm so happy for you that your weather is getting warm enough for you to get out there in the dirt where you love to be.

Love this channel. He's so down to earth.

Getting my onions and planting them tomorrow. I've been planting them the same way you do forever.

I coordinate 3 schedules when planting - Moon Calendar, weather permitting and weekly Sabbath......

Thank you! You are to first explain the spacing. Awesome.

Several other sites suggest cutting the onions about halfway or so before planting them to make them stouter and others suggested during the growing season if the tops tip over to cut them to keep them from getting too tall I did this last year and I was very successful way of growing because once the onion top tips over the plant thinks it's season is over and the bulb will cease to get larger. It's also imperative to keep the soil around the bulb loose so the bulb can expand during its growing cycle

Good afternoon. Great informational video. Im two weeks into my planting of onions. I did the one seed to each cell planting and i have less then 50% germination. I love this idea and to see it work is great. I think im going to replant a section of grow tray this way. Also i see a lot of people trim the tops of there seedlings before planting. Is that necessary? Ty for the video. Happy Gardening.

Good morning! Thank you!

Same o, same o here in NorCal. It's warm. Going to get warmer. We get a bit of spring rain every May but then dry til usually October. Got to get plants established by June so the plants can get resilience to the heat. It's up around 110o normally by mid'end of July.

And this year we had a warm week throughout May 5 and here she comes with 28 degree nights so yes same here.

My gardening season seems like its starting early. I've had some of my tall tomatoes sitting outside for 3+ weeks now. I took them in one night that went down to 38` for a few hours. But a friend that I gave tomato planst to had his already in the ground...he said they were fine , I've since started putting mine in the ground..I have 10 toms in so far

Thanks men for information. Great video friend.

New Subscriber! All our onions are starting to do really well now!!

I feel so encouraged to try growing onions from seed now!

general question for onion growers: 2 years ago I planted leek seedlings (5,000' alt NM) and didn't bother harvesting because they stayed scrawny and then flowered (too shady?). I saved seeds but the leeks have never died back. Is it worth moving them to see if they develop or should I just plant the seeds somewhere sunny instead? We have medium winters and these are next to a warm block wall, so they never froze.

Very useful video. I shall do it this way next time.

First time onion grower and I'm just south of you. I planted mine a week ago and then the rain really hit, mine didn't look as healthy as yours so we'll see how it goes! 🤞

Great video. You are so right about the late gardening seasons.Took vacation week mid May and between 50’s degree weather and rain no garden done for the week! Ugh! Great watching a happy video in these hard times. Thanks for the great tips and ideas. Look forward to trying these tips out. Such a uplifting high spirited great video. Look forward to more great ones to come. Blessing and good wishes for a good planting season.

Just what I was looking for. Thanks

Hi from the uk Loving your channel just this afternoon I've repotted all my sprouted peanuts first ever time growing them any tips would be great. I've repotted into very sandy soil so it's very loose and in pots

I have often bought plants from garden centers at big box stores. Most of the onions in dirt were not in cells, but in sort of a square bowl. I never bought them as I figured I couldn’t separate them without damaging the roots. My son bought some and planted them in his garden. He said he soaked the plants with water to get the dirt out without damaging the roots. Soaking to wash away the dirt doesn’t mean a soak for hours, more like a minute or so. Then he could easily separate the plants. Doing it your way will save time. Thank you.

We have almost the same weather! Very late, I barely have any tulips open. I have one tomato in a planter on the patio, a cherry, somehow it's setting fruit in 62 F days and 42 F nights. What a freak experiment. On the positive side, years like that give me TONS OF TIME to get non-veggie gardening done. Great vid.