By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read Short answer: Onion bulb splitting, where a single bulb divides into two or more lobes inside one papery skin, is usually caused by growth stress: inconsistent watering, a cold snap during early bulb development, or overly high nitrogen early on. It doesn’t ruin the…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: multiplier onions (also called potato onions) are a perennial-style onion that splits into a cluster of several bulbs from one planted bulb, instead of growing a single bulb from seed each year. They’re day-length neutral, more pest-resistant than standard onions, and once…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: onions want loose, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8, worked at least 8-10 inches deep, with compost mixed in before planting. Heavy clay or compacted soil is the most common soil-related cause of small, misshapen bulbs — onions need loose soil…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: sets are the easiest and most forgiving for beginners, transplants give the best balance of size and convenience, and seed is the cheapest and gives you the widest variety choice but takes the most time and skill. There’s no single “best” option…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: you can grow green onions indoors year-round reliably, but full bulbing onions are a poor fit for indoor growing since they need more light intensity and space than most homes can realistically provide. If you want a steady indoor harvest, grow for…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read Short answer: “scallion,” “green onion,” and “spring onion” are used almost interchangeably in the US for a young onion harvested before it bulbs, with straight, non-bulbing stalks. “Spring onion” technically refers more precisely to a young onion that has started to form a small…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: bulb size is driven mainly by leaf count before bulbing starts, consistent water and nitrogen through the growing season, and wide spacing. Each leaf an onion grows corresponds to a ring in the final bulb, so anything that slows early leaf growth…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read Short answer: Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) only helps onions if your soil is actually magnesium-deficient, which is uncommon outside sandy or heavily leached soils. It’s not a general bulb-size booster, and online claims that it reliably produces bigger onions aren’t backed by controlled research…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read Short answer: onions bulb based on day length, not temperature or calendar date. Short-day varieties need about 10-12 hours of daylight to start bulbing, intermediate-day need 12-14 hours, and long-day need 14-16 hours. Pick the category that matches your latitude, or the wrong variety…
By Ada Jones · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read Short answer: estimate your harvest date by adding your variety’s “days to maturity” (printed on the seed packet or set label, typically 90-120 days) to your planting date, then watching the plants rather than the calendar for the actual trigger — tops falling over…
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