Tired of constantly adding onions to your grocery list? Imagine a garden where you can harvest fresh onions whenever you need them, year after year, without the hassle of constant replanting. This dream can become a reality by focusing on specific types of onions and a strategic approach to growing both onions and garlic.

The Key: Growing Self-Perpetuating Onions

The secret to a never-ending onion supply lies in choosing onion varieties that naturally multiply or can be harvested repeatedly:

• Bunching Onions (Scallions/Spring Onions): These versatile onions don’t form large bulbs. Instead, they grow in clumps and can be harvested by snipping off the green tops or pulling entire stalks. They readily regrow, providing a continuous supply throughout the growing season and often even overwinter in milder climates. Popular varieties include ‘Evergreen Hardy White’ and ‘White Lisbon’.
• Multiplier Onions (Potato Onions/Hill Onions): These unique onions form clusters of bulbs underground from a single planted bulb. You can harvest some of the bulbs for eating while leaving others in the ground to multiply further in the following year. This creates a self-sustaining onion patch.

How to Grow Your Perpetual Onion Supply (and Garlic Too!):

1. Choose Your Location: Select a sunny spot in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Ensure the soil is well-draining and rich in organic matter.

2. Prepare the Soil: Amend the soil with compost or well-rotted manure to provide essential nutrients for both onions and garlic.

3. Plant Bunching Onions:

   • From Seed: Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost or direct sow outdoors in early spring. Plant seeds about ½ inch deep and 1 inch apart.
   • From Sets or Transplants: Plant sets or transplants 1 inch deep and 2-3 inches apart.
   • Continuous Harvest: Harvest by snipping green tops as needed or pulling entire stalks. They will regrow. You can also divide clumps every few years to expand your patch.

4. Plant Multiplier Onions:

   • From Sets: Plant multiplier onion sets in the fall or early spring, about 2 inches deep and 6-8 inches apart.
   • Natural Multiplication: Over time, each planted set will form a cluster of smaller bulbs. Harvest some for use, leaving others to continue multiplying. You can divide these clusters every few years to manage their spread.

5. Plant Garlic (for a Complementary Harvest):

   • Plant in Fall: Plant garlic cloves (pointy end up) in the fall, about 2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart.
   • Harvest in Summer: Garlic is typically harvested in mid-summer when the lower leaves start to turn yellow and brown. While not a continuous supply like bunching or multiplier onions, a fall planting provides a valuable harvest the following year. You can save some of your harvested garlic to replant in the fall, ensuring a recurring cycle.

Tips for a Never-Ending Onion Supply:

• Plant Both Types: Growing both bunching and multiplier onions provides different textures and harvest options throughout the year.
• Succession Planting (Bunching Onions): Plant small batches of bunching onion seeds or sets every few weeks during the growing season for a continuous supply of young, tender onions.
• Divide and Conquer (Multiplier Onions): Every few years, dig up and divide the multiplier onion clusters to replant and expand your onion patch.
• Overwintering: In many US climates, both bunching and multiplier onions can overwinter, providing an early harvest in the spring. Mulch them in the fall for added protection in colder regions.
• Proper Watering: Ensure consistent watering, especially during dry periods.
• Fertilize Lightly: Onions benefit from occasional light feeding with¹ a balanced fertilizer.

Conclusion: Onion Self-Sufficiency is Within Reach

By focusing on growing bunching onions and multiplier onions, you can significantly reduce or even eliminate your need to purchase onions from the store. Combined with a yearly planting of garlic, you can enjoy a homegrown supply of these essential culinary staples. Embrace these simple methods and enjoy the satisfaction of a truly self-sufficient garden.