Onion seeds are easy to collect and store. Unfortunately, onions are a biennial plant which means they can only be harvested every two years. Before you neglect all the recipes that call for onions, take some time to plan your gardening schedule. By preserving onion seeds after each harvest, you will never run out of onions for cooking!
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Method 1 of 3: Harvesting Seeds
Step 1. Start harvesting when you find the seed heads of the onions
Watch the onion plant as it grows, and wait for the seed heads to appear. The shape is similar to a large dandelion flower and physically looks like a collection of small white flowers. As the flowers begin to bloom, then dry out, tiny black seeds will fall from the flower buds to the ground below. Onion seeds are ready to be harvested around the end of summer while the weather is still warm.
- An onion seed is about the size of a pebble. If you don't see it right away, don't worry because the seeds might get mixed up with the soil.
- Dried flowers will be brown instead of white. You can also see dark seeds in the buds once the flowers have opened.
Step 2. Pick up the seeds that fall to the ground
Wait for the flowers to dry completely before examining the surrounding soil. Use your fingers to pick and pick the seeds from the ground. If you want to remove several seeds at once, consider using a small gardening shovel.
Wear gloves when collecting seeds if you don't want your hands to get dirty
Step 3. Cut off the flower heads of the onions to get more seeds
Get more seeds by picking dried flowers. Shake the dried flowers over a container if you want to collect the seeds immediately or save the flower buds to collect seeds later.
You can use a large bowl or plastic container to hold the seeds
Step 4. Collect seeds from several plants to get different varieties
Take seeds from several different onion plants. If you're a gardener, you probably have more than one genus of onions in your garden. Collecting seeds from different types of onions makes it easier for you to have a more diverse and high-quality garden for the months ahead.
For example, if you live in a sunny area, try growing Yellow Sweet Spanish or Red Wethersfield. If you live in a warmer area, consider growing White Bermuda or Burgundy varieties
Step 5. Sort the seeds from the stems and buds
Place the seeds you have collected in a basket or container. Do this on a flat surface and start sorting from the bunch of seeds. Your goal is to remove stems, flower buds, or plant parts other than seeds from the ones you've collected. When finished, the onion seeds are ready to be dried and stored.
- Storing different types of onions in different containers will help you create a neat garden in the future.
- If the flowers haven't started opening yet, store the bowl containing your seed bunch in a dark, cool place until the buds dry. When the flowers start to dry, you can rub them with your fingers to force the seeds out faster.
Method 2 of 3: Drying and Storing the Seeds
Step 1. Choose a dry and cool place to dry the seeds
Find the coolest, dryest place in the house before preparing the seeds for storage. In order to always be fresh, onion seeds should be kept away from heat and sunlight. A location such as a cellar or a food cupboard is a suitable place, as long as it is not too bright during the day.
No need to worry if the cellar or pantry is not completely dark, you just need a small dark place to store the container of onion seeds
Step 2. Spread the seeds on a sheet of towel to dry them
Spread out the towel on a flat surface, then spread the seeds out in a single layer. Flatten so that no seeds overlap each other. If they accumulate, the seeds will take longer to dry.
Step 3. Wait at least 3-4 days for the seeds to dry completely
Air the seeds for a few days to dry them. Even if the seeds are not too moist from the start, this process ensures that they are as dry as possible when stored. If stored dry, the seeds will be fresher and in better condition when the next growing season arrives.
Step 4. Transfer the seeds to an airtight container to store them
Pour the dried seeds into an airtight container for long-term storage. Place the container on the end of the towel and pour the seeds into it. Close the container as tightly as possible to ensure that no air enters. This will keep the seeds fresh.
Step 5. Store seeds in a dark place and use within 2 years
Put the container with the seeds in a dark, cool place for a while. Onion seeds must be used and planted within two years because onions can only be harvested every two years. If stored longer, the seeds will not be fresh anymore. So, make sure you have prepared a planting schedule!
If you time the harvest correctly, you can ensure that the warehouse is always stocked with onion seeds
Method 3 of 3: Planting Dried Seeds
Step 1. Prepare seeds in cold weather for an easy-care garden
Prepare the seeds by filling a small, shoebox-sized container half full with pre-fertilized soil. Plant the seeds about 1/2 cm apart. Store the container with these planted seeds outside and protected from the sun. Do this in late fall.
- No need to worry about the weather in winter, the seeds will be fine as long as they are stored in a plastic container.
- Make about 1 cm holes in the lid and bottom of the plastic box to ensure the seeds get enough air.
Step 2. Place the seeds under a lamp if you want to plant them indoors
An alternative to indoor plants is to plant seeds 1/2 cm apart in small pots filled with fertilized soil. Store this pot under a special lamp for indoor gardening. Set the lights to turn on and off automatically and make sure they don't stay on for more than 12 hours a day. This process can begin early in the year or at least three months before you plan to plant the seeds outside when the growing season arrives.
Avoid growing onions indoors with other vegetables because these other plants may need more than 12 hours of sunlight a day
Step 3. Plant each seed about 1/2 cm deep in the soil
Make sure each seed is buried under the surface of the soil. Whichever method you use, try to keep the onions as close to the surface as possible when they begin to germinate. In the case of harvesting, a little is enough.
If you use indoor lights to grow onions, be sure to plant them in spring
Step 4. Harvest the seeds in late summer
Keep in mind the biennial harvest schedule when planning harvesting. While most onions are ready for harvest in late summer, each crop can only be harvested every two years. Therefore, try planting a new onion crop each year so that you always have the onions and seeds to harvest at the end of each summer.
If you already have a planting cycle, you will be able to save regularly
Tips
- Onions grow in a biennial cycle. Whenever you store seeds, make sure they are sufficient for a 2 year period as you will have to wait that long to be able to harvest and store more seeds.
- Remember that onions can cross-pollinate after their second year of growing another onion plant next to them.
