Onion Maintenance 101: How to Grow Bigger, Healthier Bulbs
If you want your onions to grow big, firm, and flavorful—not just tall and leafy—then a little mid-season maintenance goes a long way. Onions are one of the more pest- and disease-resistant crops you can grow, but they still benefit from intentional care as the bulbs mature.
Here’s what I do on my homestead to get the most out of each onion plant.
🌿 1. Weed Regularly
Onions hate competition. Their shallow roots and slow growth make them vulnerable to getting crowded out by weeds.
Hand weed weekly around your onion rows
Avoid deep cultivation so you don’t damage developing bulbs
Mulch lightly to suppress regrowth but don’t smother the base of the plants
☕️ 2. Feed the Soil (Coffee Grounds + Super Tea)
Healthy onions need loose, nutrient-rich soil. Mid-season, I give them a boost with two natural amendments:
Used coffee grounds: Sprinkle lightly around the base—rich in nitrogen and beneficial microbes.
Super Tea Blend: A liquid microbial fertilizer that helps drive nutrient uptake and boost growth.
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Apply every couple of weeks after watering, especially if your soil is sandy or depleted.
✂️ 3. Prune the Greens
You can (and should!) cut back the green tops of your onions:
Trim the greens down to 6–8 inches once they start flopping over
Do this 2–3 times during the season
This redirects energy from top growth into bulb development below ground
It also helps reduce the chance of early bolting in variable weather.
🌼 4. Remove Any Flowers
If you see your onion sending up a flower stalk (called bolting), snip it off right away.
Flowering means the plant is going to seed and will stop bulb development
The earlier you catch it, the more energy can be redirected back to the onion itself
🌱 5. Expose the Bulbs for Better Growth
As bulbs swell, they push up through the soil. You can help them by:
Gently pulling back mulch and excess soil from around the bulb shoulders
Allowing sun and airflow to hit the bulbs, which helps them firm up and dry out evenly
Avoid burying onion bulbs deeply—they like to breathe!
🐛 6. Natural Pest Resistance & Companion Benefits
Onions are part of the allium family and naturally deter many common pests, including aphids, cabbage worms, and even rabbits.
They’re excellent planted alongside:
Carrots (help deter carrot flies)
Beets
Cabbage family crops
Lettuce and leafy greens
They not only protect neighboring plants but also don’t compete heavily for nutrients.
🧅 Wrapping Up
Onions don’t need tons of fuss, but a few simple steps like pruning, weeding, feeding, and exposing their bulbs can make a huge difference in their size and flavor.
And don’t forget—they’re more than just a crop; they’re a natural defender in your garden lineup.
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