📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Onions from Seed
- 🧅 Leeks: Leek seeds are notoriously slow and uneven to germinate. Keep them consistently moist in a warm, bright spot and do not dig around in the dirt to check on them! They can take up to 3 weeks to fully emerge.
- 🧄 Shallots from Seed: Yes, you can grow shallots directly from seed to a mature, harvestable bulb in a single season! You don’t have to start with sets. Just note that store-bought shallot seed often has lower germination rates.
- 🌱 Seedling Care: Onion seedlings often struggle in dry, hot apartments (becoming weak and leggy). They perform much better if started in a cold frame or raised bed outdoors in early spring.
- Photo by Aeris.
📑 In This Thread:
🧅 Can You Get a Full-Sized Shallot Bulb in the First Year?
Lyuda, I have a question for you about onions. I bought “Monastyrsky” shallot seeds. Can I grow them directly from seed to a mature bulb in one season, or will they only produce small onion sets the first year? When should I sow them? And if I start them indoors and transplant them later, won’t I ruin them during transplanting since shallots grow as a cluster of bulbs right away? I’m full of doubts.
🐌 Leek Germination Times & Shallot Transplanting Rules
Natasha, isn’t it a bit early for leeks, or does your season start earlier down there?
Just a reminder about leeks: they usually germinate very slowly and unevenly. But if you put them in a nice warm spot (even on a windowsill where there is both light and heat), they will gradually pop up on their own over the course of about 3 weeks. You just need to keep them constantly moist and do not poke around in the dirt to check on them!
As for the shallots, yes, you can grow them to full size right away. Sow them along with your other onions and grow them as seedlings just the same. Just keep in mind that the germination rate for shallot seeds bought at standard stores is usually quite low.
When it’s time to transplant them into the garden bed, just space them out a bit more. Remember that the very smallest shallot bulbs aren’t usually replanted for mature bulbs anyway (maybe just for early greens). The huge bulbs will divide into too many tiny ones. Medium-sized bulbs are the absolute best for replanting.
🌱 Leggy Seedlings: Why Cold Frames Beat Indoor Windowsills
I plan to transplant my leek and onion seedlings around mid-April. You’re right, they really do take forever to sprout. I start part of them in my apartment, and the rest I sow directly into a raised warm bed out at the village and cover it like a cold frame in late March. They germinate great out there and grow very strong. In the apartment, they don’t do as well—they either dry out or get wimpy and leggy.
