Starting Onions + Leeks from Seed
Onions and leeks are always the first transplants we seed each year at Seattle Urban Farm Co. (SUFCo). Bulbing onions and leeks have a long growing season, so getting them started early allows for them to grow to maturity in the optimal growing conditions of summer. They also cure better and store longer when harvested during dry weather conditions. Many people devote a large part of their gardens to alliums because they so store well and are very easy to use, so another advantage to a summer harvest is that it can also create room for fall crops!
Onions come in all shapes, sizes and colors. There are hundreds of different onion varieties, each suited for specific climates, day lengths and culinary uses. The main advantage to starting any crop from seed is that you have a much larger selection of varieties to choose from. Now, with that said, over the last few years nurseries around the Seattle area have really stepped up their organic vegetable transplant game, so if you finish this article and decide starting your own seeds just isn’t for you, you won’t totally be out of luck! You can just wait until later in the spring and go pick up a few pots of healthy, young transplants. If you live in an area where vegetable transplants are harder to come by or if you love starting seeds as much as we do, the following instructions are definitely for you!
What you’ll need:Germination soil mix (available at any nursery or garden center)Fine, granulated balanced organic fertilizer (1/8th cup per gallon of soil)Clean 4” plastic pots (you can wash and re-use the ones you bought your transplants in last year)SeedsWaterWarm spot by a windowHow to do it:Dampen the germination mix with water evenly throughout soil mixtureFill 4” pots about ¾ of the way with germination mixAdd 1 Tbs balanced fertilizer to each 4” pot, and mixDampen the soil mix and then gently tamp it down using the bottom of another 4” potSprinkle seeds on top of soil at a rate of about 5 seeds/inchCover the seeds with ⅛” of germination mix, then waterLabel varieties Place on a sunny window-sill or table and keep seeds moist
Seeds should germinate in 1-2 weeks.
Once seeds have reached about 2 inches in height, give them a little “hair cut” by trimming the tops about ½ inch down. This will actually encourage more growth and that growth will be more robust. While in their pots, you can trim the tops again every couple of weeks to keep encouraging the plants to put energy into the roots.
Transplant into your garden in mid-late April.
Want a little help getting your transplants started this season? As part of our Barnraiser campaign we will be offering a seed-starting workshop in late spring 2015. It will be little late to start onions at this workshop, but we can help you start scallions, leeks, broccoli, kale, lettuce, and more! For more details on the workshop, click here!
