VegetablesSweet Onion
Allium cepa
Difficulty: Moderate
Sweet onions are short-day onion varieties that set bulbs with about 12 hours of daylight. They grow in full sun, have a mild, sweet flavor, and are best eaten fresh.
How to grow sweet onion
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Comparing Sweet Onion vs. Onion vs. Artichoke
The comparison
Sweet Onion vs. Onion vs. Artichoke
| Fact | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Moderate | Moderate | Challenging |
| Life cycle | Biennial | Biennial | Not yet verified |
| Germination time | 14–21 days | 14–21 days | 8–12 days |
| Germination temperature | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | 21–26 °C70–79 °F |
| Sowing depth | 6 mm–1.5 cm¼–½ in | 6 mm–1.5 cm¼–½ in | 6 mm¼ in |
| Spacing between plants | 8–10 cm3¼–4 in | 8–10 cm3¼–4 in | 46 cm18 in |
| Sun | Full sun | Full sun | Full sun |
| Water | Moderate | Moderate | Not yet verified |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy | Hardy | Not yet verified |
| Soil pH | pH 6.2–6.5 | pH 6.2–6.5 | pH 6.5–8.0 |
| Toxicity to cats | Toxic | Toxic | Not yet verified |
| Toxicity to dogs | Toxic | Toxic | Not yet verified |
| Links |
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Meet the seeds
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- Vegetables
- Vegetables
Onion
Allium cepa
Difficulty: ModerateOnions are cool-season bulb vegetables you can start from seed, sets or transplants in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Bulbs take about 85 to 120 days to mature.
How to grow onion - Vegetables
Artichoke
Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Difficulty: ChallengingGlobe artichokes are large, thistle-like plants grown for their edible flower buds. They need full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Seed results are variable, so many growers start with plants or divisions.
How to grow artichoke
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Sprouting
Germination time and temperature
How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.
Sowing
Sowing depth and spacing
How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.
Timing
Days to maturity and life cycle
How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.
Light and water
Sun and water
Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.
Space and weather
Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH
Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.
Pets
Toxicity to cats and dogs
Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
Quick wins
Fastest to sprout
Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.
Pet friendly
Safe around cats and dogs
Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.
Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.
Comparing
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