When to plant onions in the US
Outdoors, onions go in from around January 28 in Atlanta to September 11 in Phoenix.
- Type
- Hardy Copes with cold
- First harvest
- About 140 days from planting in the UK
- Spacing
- 4 in between plants
- In pots
- Not really better in the ground
- Straight in the ground. Plant onions where they’re to grow, not in seed trays.
- Two goes in warm places. Where summers are long, there’s a second window later in the year as well as the spring one.
Town by town
24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.
Plant outdoorsPlant under cover (indoors, a greenhouse or a cold frame)
| TownTown, north to south | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeattleFrom Feb 25Outdoors Feb 25 to Apr 24 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PortlandFrom Feb 15Outdoors Feb 15 to Apr 17 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| MilwaukeeFrom Apr 11Outdoors Apr 11 to Jun 1 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BostonFrom Apr 4Outdoors Apr 4 to May 25 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| DetroitFrom Apr 6Outdoors Apr 6 to May 27 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ChicagoFrom Mar 30Outdoors Mar 30 to May 20 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| New York CityFrom Mar 26Outdoors Mar 26 to May 16 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Columbus, OhioFrom Mar 21Outdoors Mar 21 to May 11 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PhiladelphiaFrom Mar 15Outdoors Mar 15 to May 5 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| IndianapolisFrom Mar 19Outdoors Mar 19 to May 9 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| DenverFrom Apr 8Outdoors Apr 8 to May 29 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Plant under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant outdoors and under cover | June: Plant under cover | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BaltimoreFrom Mar 10Outdoors Mar 10 to Apr 30 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| WashingtonFrom Mar 5 and Jul 27Outdoors Mar 5 to Apr 25, and Jul 27 to Aug 3 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LouisvilleFrom Mar 3Outdoors Mar 3 to Apr 23 | January: Not this month | February: Plant under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Las VegasFrom Aug 31Outdoors Aug 31 to Feb 27 | January: Plant outdoors and under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Plant under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| NashvilleFrom Feb 12 and Jul 28Outdoors Feb 12 to Apr 4, and Jul 28 to Aug 10 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Oklahoma CityFrom Feb 9 and Aug 8Outdoors Feb 9 to Apr 1, and Aug 8 to Aug 16 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CharlotteFrom Feb 5 and Jul 26 and Nov 24Outdoors Feb 5 to Mar 28, and Jul 26 to Aug 20, and Nov 24 to Dec 23 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Not this month | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| AlbuquerqueFrom Feb 19 and Jul 25Outdoors Feb 19 to Apr 11, and Jul 25 to Aug 3 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant outdoors and under cover | May: Plant under cover | June: Not this month | July: Plant outdoors and under cover | August: Plant under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Los AngelesFrom Aug 14Outdoors Aug 14 to Mar 3 | January: Plant outdoors and under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| AtlantaFrom Jan 28 and Jul 28 and Nov 15Outdoors Jan 28 to Mar 20, and Jul 28 to Aug 29, and Nov 15 to Dec 28 | January: Plant under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Plant under cover | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant under cover | October: Plant under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| PhoenixFrom Sep 11Outdoors Sep 11 to Mar 1 | January: Plant outdoors and under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Plant under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| JacksonvilleFrom Aug 10Outdoors Aug 10 to Mar 9 | January: Plant outdoors and under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant outdoors and under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
| HoustonFrom Aug 20Outdoors Aug 20 to Mar 5 | January: Plant outdoors and under cover | February: Plant outdoors and under cover | March: Plant under cover | April: Not this month | May: Not this month | June: Not this month | July: Plant under cover | August: Plant outdoors and under cover | September: Plant outdoors and under cover | October: Plant outdoors and under cover | November: Plant outdoors and under cover | December: Plant outdoors and under cover |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
Onions in other countries
When to plant other crops in the US
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
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Get these dates as reminders
Bia turns this calendar into a nudge when it’s time to sow, plant out and harvest, for your backyard or community garden plot wherever you are in the US. Free for 2 months.
App StoreComing soonHow these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work