How long is the growth cycle of onions?

Onion Growth Introduction

Onions are not very demanding on soil, but they prefer loose, fertile, well-ventilated neutral loam, and can easily obtain high yields in sandy loam.

Onions are native to western Asia and are mainly distributed in Jinxiang, Yutai, Shanxian, Pingdu in Shandong, Fengxian in Jiangsu, Jiuquan and Wuwei in Gansu, Yuanmou and Dongchuan in Yunnan, and Xichang in Sichuan. They are also widely cultivated in the world.

Onion growth cycle

Onion is a long-day crop, with daily sunshine hours of 12-14 hours. It also needs sufficient water, but watering should be reduced during the seedling stage and before wintering to avoid frost damage. Watering should be controlled 12 weeks before harvest. Its leaves are drought-resistant, and diseases are prone to occur when the air humidity is too high.

The growth cycle of onion is about 330 days. It can be sown in early September and harvested in early June of the following year.

Onion growth rate

Onions grow slowly. After planting, they will grow roots in about three days, and green buds will sprout on the ninth day. As the green buds gradually mature, they will grow more leaves and then bear fruit.

Onion growth cycle management

The yield of onion will vary depending on the variety of onion planted. Early-maturing varieties generally yield about 4,500 kg per mu, while medium- and late-maturing varieties generally yield 5,000 kg per mu.

Temperature management: Onions prefer a warm environment. They can germinate slowly at a temperature of 3-5°C and start to accelerate at 12°C. Robust seedlings can withstand a certain low temperature. A higher temperature is required when the bulb is swelling. They grow best between 21 and 27 degrees. If the temperature is too high, their growth will decline and they will go dormant.

Fertilization management: Onions have a large demand for fertilizers, mainly fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen fertilizers should not be too heavy. No fertilizer is applied during the seedling period. After wintering, combine wintering water with human manure and urine. In spring, combine watering and apply green fertilizer again.