Yellow Onions – Growing Green Shoots

Q: I have two store bought yellow onions that have began to grow green shoots. Can they be planted?

A: Onions grow readily in Atlanta area gardens but the ones you buy from a grocery won’t get any bigger, so there’s no sense planting them now in December. If you like the idea of harvesting fresh onions, choose a garden site in full sunshine. In a 10 sq. ft. area, thoroughly mix two cubic feet of soil conditioner and 120 lb. of gritty underlayment sand with the existing soil, all to a depth of ten inches. Onions can be planted any time between late November and late January but the earlier you get them in, the bigger the bulbs will be. Plant small bulbs (onion sets) 4 inches apart in rows 10 inches apart. Water with half-strength houseplant fertilizer at planting and full-strength in March and April. Harvest the pungent bulbs when the tops turn yellow and fall over, usually in early June.