×
  • Home
  • Daily
    • Buyers Guides
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Gardening LIfe
      • Animals in the Garden
      • Funny Business
      • Gardening History
      • Gardening Humor
      • Gardening Mishaps
      • Gardening Poems
      • Gardening Romance
      • Gardening Science
      • Gardening with Kids
      • Healing Gardens
      • Joy of Gardening
      • Mystical Gardens
      • Ornamental Gardening
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • GreenPrints Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Books
    • GuideBooks
    • Cookbooks
      • Beverages
      • Bakery
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Salads & Dressings
      • Soups
      • Entrées
      • Side Dishes & Sauces
      • Desserts
    • Story Collections
    • StoryBooks
    • Recipe Collections
  • Kits
    • Garden Calendars
    • Garden Plans
    • Recipe Cards
    • Greeting Cards
    • ArtPrints
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
  • Authors
  • GreenPrints Writer’s Guidelines
  • Keyword Index
  • Join
Celebrating 5 Years of Food Gardening

Food Gardening Network

Growing food, fun & more

Give a GiftJoin
Mequoda Publishing Network
  • Daily
    • Buyers Guides
    • Composting
    • Container Gardening
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Food Preservation
    • Garden Design
    • Garden Tools
    • Gardening Life
      • Animals in the Garden
      • Funny Business
      • Gardening History
      • Gardening Humor
      • Gardening Mishaps
      • Gardening Poems
      • Gardening Romance
      • Gardening Science
      • Gardening with Kids
      • Healing Gardens
      • Joy of Gardening
      • Mystical Gardens
      • Ornamental Gardening
    • Growing Fruits & Berries
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests & Diseases
    • Seeds & Seedlings
    • Soil & Fertilizer
    • Spice & Herb Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Watering & Irrigation
  • Freebies
  • Videos
  • Magazines
    • Food Gardening Magazine
    • GreenPrints Magazine
    • RecipeLion Magazine
  • Books
    • GuideBooks
    • Cookbooks
      • Beverages
      • Bakery
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Salads & Dressings
      • Soups
      • Entrées
      • Side Dishes & Sauces
      • Desserts
    • Story Collections
    • StoryBooks
    • Recipe Collections
  • Kits
    • Garden Calendars
    • Garden Plans
    • Recipe Cards
    • Greeting Cards
    • ArtPrints
  • Sign In
  • Search

The Right Sunlight for Your Onion Plants

Gardening Guide: The Outstanding Onion Gardening Guide: All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Onions

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right

The Right Sunlight for Your Onion Plants

By Norann Oleson

Onions in sunlight

Onions in sunlight

Onion plants need the right amount of sunlight in order for the plant to develop a bulb and grow properly. Whether you’re growing short day, intermediate day, or long day cultivars, if the plants don’t get the sunlight they need, you’re not going to have a good harvest. So keep these rough guidelines in mind as you plan your planting:

Short day varieties

  • Need 10 hours of sunlight a day
  • USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and up

Intermediate day varieties

  • Also called day neutral
  • Need 12 to 14 hours of sunlight a day
  • Zones 5 and 6 (most of the U.S. Midwest)

Long day varieties

  • Need 14 to 16 hours of sunlight
  • Zone 6 and colder

It’s not just the zone you’re in—it’s where your garden is, too. Check the sun pattern where you plan to plant your onions. Is there an extended period of shade during the day? Talk with your local garden shop about the best varieties to grow in your specific gardening area.

How do you ensure that your onions get the right amount of sunlight? Do you have tips for getting your onions planted in the right spot for proper amounts of sun and shade? Please tell us how you handle sunlight for your onions.

arrow-left Previous
Next arrow-right

Tags

day neutral, onions

Comments
  • Sharon A. March 8, 2023

    do you take the soil away from the onion bulb as it matures?

    Reply
  • Sharon A. March 8, 2023

    do you

    Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Growing Zones for Onions
  • Types of Onion Plants
  • Choosing to Grow Onions from Seeds, Transplants, or Sets
  • Growing Onions in Open Land, in Raised Beds, or in Containers
  • Starting with the Right Soil for Your Onion Plants
  • Companion Planting with Your Onion Crop: What to Plant Nearby—and What to Keep at a Distance
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Onion Plants
  • Should You Fertilize Your Onion Plants?
  • How—and When—to Water Your Onion Plants
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Onion Diseases
  • Bulb Rot in Onion Plants: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Different Types of Bulb Rot
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Onion Plants
  • The Right Way to Weed Your Onion Patch
  • Why Do Onions Make You Cry?
  • Onion Harvesting, Curing, and Storage Tips
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Onions
  • 5 Tips for Growing a Healthy Harvest of Onions This Year
  • Best Tips for Handling Onions
  • Plant Profiles

  • Dutch Yellow Shallots
  • French Red Shallots
  • Patterson Onions
  • Walla Walla Onions
  • Southport Red Globe Onions
  • White Sweet Spanish Onions
  • Utah Yellow Sweet Spanish Onions
  • Candy Onions
  • Red Burgundy Onions
  • Yellow Granex Onions
  • Early White Grano Onions
  • Recipes

  • Onion-Topped Focaccia Bread
  • No-Guilt Onion Bloom
  • Caramelized Onions
  • Easy Onion Dinner Rolls
  • Onions in a Pickle
  • French Onion Soup
  • Scalloped Onions
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Onions
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Onions
  • Resources about Onions
  • Onion Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • 10 Deer-Resistant Vegetables and Herbs
  • Are You Storing Onions the Wrong Way? Learn How to Store Every Variety
  • The Best Vegetables to Plant Together for an Unbelievable Harvest
  • The Science of Onion Sweetness: How Sulfur, Water, and Timing Affect Flavor
  • When to Toss Your Home-Grown Onions

Enter Your Log In Credentials

This setting should only be used on your home or work computer.

  • Lost your password? Create New Password
  • No account? Sign up

Need Assistance?

Call Food Gardening Network Customer Service at
(800) 777-2658

Food Gardening Network is an active member of the following industry associations:

  • American Horticultural Society
  • GardenComm Logo
  • GardenComm Laurel Media Award
  • MCMA logo
  • Join Now
  • Learn More
  • About Food Gardening Network
  • Contact Us
  • Affiliate Program
  • Sponsor Program
  • Give a Gift
  • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Food Gardening Network
99 Derby Street, Suite 200
Hingham, MA 02043
support@foodgardening.mequoda.com

To learn more about our Email Marketing and Broadcasting Services, Exchange Program, or to become a marketing partner with any of our publications, click here to contact us at Mequoda Publishing Network.

FREE E-Newsletter for You!

Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own garden—with our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Powered by
Mequoda Publishing Network
copyright © 2025 Mequoda Systems, LLC

Food Gardening Network®, Food Gardening Magazine® and GreenPrints® are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC.