I’ll be honest—when I first heard that autumn was a great time to plant onions, I was a bit sceptical. Like many gardeners, I always thought spring was the prime season for most planting. But after a bit of reading and chatting with some seasoned gardeners, I decided to give it a go, and I’m so glad I did. Planting onions in the autumn turned out to be one of the best gardening decisions I’ve ever made. Now, it’s a ritual I look forward to every year.
If you’ve never considered autumn onion planting, let me share with you five reasons why it’s worth doing. Trust me, by the end of this, you might just find yourself grabbing a spade and planting some onions before the first frost hits.
1. A Head Start on the Growing Season
One of the biggest benefits I’ve found with planting onions in autumn is the head start it gives them. Onions are hardy and can tolerate the cold, which means that by the time spring rolls around, they’ve already established strong roots underground. While I’m busy preparing my garden beds for other crops in early spring, my onions are already growing and thriving, getting a jump on the season.
The first time I planted onions in autumn, I remember being amazed when spring arrived. While everything else was just beginning to sprout, my onion plants were already standing tall, green, and strong. It felt like a secret advantage, and I was thrilled to see them growing so well while I waited for other plants to catch up.
2. Stronger, Healthier Bulbs
In my experience, autumn-planted onions tend to develop stronger, healthier bulbs. Since they have the entire winter to grow underground, their roots are well-established, which helps the plants focus on bulb development as soon as the weather warms up. By the time I’m harvesting in early summer, I’ve got large, firm onions that are far better than the ones I used to grow when I planted only in spring.
It’s like giving your onions an extended growing season without the pressure of the hot summer sun beating down on them too soon. They grow at their own pace, and the results are worth the wait. The feeling of pulling up a big, healthy onion after months of patient tending is incredibly satisfying.
3. Less Weeding and Pests
One of the unexpected perks I discovered with autumn planting is that it significantly reduces the amount of weeding and pest control I need to do. In the cooler months, weeds grow more slowly, which means my onions don’t have as much competition. By the time spring arrives, my onions are already well ahead, and weeds have a much harder time taking over.
As for pests, planting in autumn means that my onions are maturing before many of the usual garden nuisances—like onion flies—start appearing. There’s something deeply rewarding about knowing my onions are safely growing away while I don’t have to worry too much about pests getting to them before they’ve even had a chance to flourish.
4. Maximising Garden Space
Another reason I love planting onions in autumn is that it helps me make better use of my garden space. While other crops need the warm spring soil to start growing, onions are happy to be tucked into the ground before winter sets in. This means that by the time my summer crops are ready to go into the garden, my onions are nearly ready to harvest or have already been pulled, freeing up valuable garden space.
This was a game changer for me. Instead of waiting until late spring to plant everything, I can stagger my crops. It keeps the garden more productive, and I feel like I’m making the most of the space I have. Plus, it’s such a relief knowing I’ve got a crop already underway when everything else still needs planting.
5. Earlier Harvests and Longer Storage
Perhaps the best reason for planting onions in autumn is the early harvest. Since onions planted in autumn are ready to harvest earlier in the summer, I can start enjoying home-grown onions long before my neighbours who planted in spring. There’s something special about being the first one in the growing season to pull up onions and start using them in my cooking.
And because these onions are well-established and healthier, they store for much longer. I’ve found that my autumn-planted onions last well into the winter months, which is a real blessing when I’m planning meals. There’s nothing quite like reaching into the pantry and grabbing an onion I grew myself, especially when they’re still in perfect condition months after harvest.
The Joy of Autumn Gardening
Planting onions in autumn has not only improved my harvests but also changed the way I approach gardening. There’s something truly satisfying about getting out in the garden during those crisp autumn days, knowing that while everything else is slowing down, I’m giving my onions a head start for the next year. It’s a way of preparing for the future, of setting things in motion even as the colder months approach.
The first time I saw those green shoots poking through the soil after winter, I felt like I’d unlocked a gardening secret. It was a moment of quiet triumph, knowing that I’d done something good for my plants and myself.
So, if you haven’t tried planting onions in autumn yet, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a simple shift in timing, but the benefits are more than worth it. And as someone who was once sceptical, I can tell you—I’m now an autumn onion planter for life.