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When to plant onions
Plant onions out 6 weeks before your average last frost date. If you're raising transplants, start the seeds indoors 10 weeks before that. From seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time.
Onions planting dates by city
| City | Last frost (50%) | Start indoors | Plant out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Albany, NY | Apr 27 | Jan 5 | Mar 16 |
| Albuquerque, NM | Apr 6 | Dec 15 | Feb 23 |
| Allentown, PA | Apr 20 | Dec 29 | Mar 9 |
| Amarillo, TX | Apr 13 | Dec 22 | Mar 2 |
| Anchorage, AK | May 5 | Jan 13 | Mar 24 |
| Asheville, NC | Apr 9 | Dec 18 | Feb 26 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 15 | Nov 23 | Feb 1 |
| Austin, TX | Mar 12 | Nov 20 | Jan 29 |
| Baltimore, MD | Apr 10 | Dec 19 | Feb 27 |
| Bangor, ME | May 4 | Jan 12 | Mar 23 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | Feb 25 | Nov 5 | Jan 14 |
| Billings, MT | May 4 | Jan 12 | Mar 23 |
| Birmingham, AL | Mar 21 | Nov 29 | Feb 7 |
| Bismarck, ND | May 14 | Jan 22 | Apr 2 |
| Boise, ID | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 4 | Dec 13 | Feb 21 |
| Buffalo, NY | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Burlington, VT | Apr 29 | Jan 7 | Mar 18 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Apr 27 | Jan 5 | Mar 16 |
| Charleston, SC | Mar 7 | Nov 15 | Jan 24 |
| Charleston, WV | Apr 16 | Dec 25 | Mar 5 |
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Dec 8 | Feb 16 |
| Chattanooga, TN | Mar 24 | Dec 2 | Feb 10 |
| Cheyenne, WY | May 12 | Jan 20 | Mar 31 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 16 | Dec 25 | Mar 5 |
| Cincinnati, OH | Apr 18 | Dec 27 | Mar 7 |
| Cleveland, OH | Apr 20 | Dec 29 | Mar 9 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 3 | Jan 11 | Mar 22 |
| Columbia, SC | Mar 25 | Dec 3 | Feb 11 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 18 | Dec 27 | Mar 7 |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 8 | Nov 16 | Jan 25 |
| Dayton, OH | Apr 16 | Dec 25 | Mar 5 |
| Denver, CO | May 5 | Jan 13 | Mar 24 |
| Des Moines, IA | Apr 18 | Dec 27 | Mar 7 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 20 | Dec 29 | Mar 9 |
| Duluth, MN | May 13 | Jan 21 | Apr 1 |
| El Paso, TX | Mar 2 | Nov 10 | Jan 19 |
| Eugene, OR | Apr 11 | Dec 20 | Feb 28 |
| Evansville, IN | Apr 4 | Dec 13 | Feb 21 |
| Fargo, ND | May 10 | Jan 18 | Mar 29 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | Jun 4 | Feb 12 | Apr 23 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Grand Junction, CO | Apr 28 | Jan 6 | Mar 17 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | Apr 29 | Jan 7 | Mar 18 |
| Green Bay, WI | Apr 30 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 |
| Greensboro, NC | Mar 30 | Dec 8 | Feb 16 |
| Harrisburg, PA | Apr 9 | Dec 18 | Feb 26 |
| Hartford, CT | Apr 21 | Dec 30 | Mar 10 |
| Houston, TX | Feb 13 | Oct 24 | Jan 2 |
| Huntsville, AL | Mar 24 | Dec 2 | Feb 10 |
| Indianapolis, IN | Apr 15 | Dec 24 | Mar 4 |
| Jackson, MS | Mar 14 | Nov 22 | Jan 31 |
| Jacksonville, FL | Feb 25 | Nov 5 | Jan 14 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 13 | Dec 22 | Mar 2 |
| Knoxville, TN | Apr 1 | Dec 10 | Feb 18 |
| Lansing, MI | May 1 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 |
| Lexington, KY | Apr 13 | Dec 22 | Mar 2 |
| Lincoln, NE | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Little Rock, AR | Mar 21 | Nov 29 | Feb 7 |
| Louisville, KY | Mar 31 | Dec 9 | Feb 17 |
| Lubbock, TX | Apr 4 | Dec 13 | Feb 21 |
| Madison, WI | May 1 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 |
| Manchester, NH | Apr 21 | Dec 30 | Mar 10 |
| Medford, OR | Apr 8 | Dec 17 | Feb 25 |
| Milwaukee, WI | Apr 19 | Dec 28 | Mar 8 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Jan 1 | Mar 12 |
| Missoula, MT | May 16 | Jan 24 | Apr 4 |
| Montgomery, AL | Mar 13 | Nov 21 | Jan 30 |
| Nashville, TN | Mar 31 | Dec 9 | Feb 17 |
| New York, NY | Apr 2 | Dec 11 | Feb 19 |
| Newark, NJ | Apr 2 | Dec 11 | Feb 19 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Apr 4 | Dec 13 | Feb 21 |
| Omaha, NE | Apr 18 | Dec 27 | Mar 7 |
| Peoria, IL | Apr 16 | Dec 25 | Mar 5 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Apr 2 | Dec 11 | Feb 19 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Apr 23 | Jan 1 | Mar 12 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 13 | Nov 21 | Jan 30 |
| Portland, ME | Apr 26 | Jan 4 | Mar 15 |
| Providence, RI | Apr 11 | Dec 20 | Feb 28 |
| Pueblo, CO | Apr 30 | Jan 8 | Mar 19 |
| Raleigh, NC | Mar 31 | Dec 9 | Feb 17 |
| Rapid City, SD | May 12 | Jan 20 | Mar 31 |
| Reno, NV | Apr 20 | Dec 29 | Mar 9 |
| Richmond, VA | Apr 3 | Dec 12 | Feb 20 |
| Roanoke, VA | Apr 3 | Dec 12 | Feb 20 |
| Rochester, NY | Apr 24 | Jan 2 | Mar 13 |
| Sacramento, CA | Feb 22 | Nov 2 | Jan 11 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 8 | Dec 17 | Feb 25 |
| San Antonio, TX | Feb 26 | Nov 6 | Jan 15 |
| Santa Fe, NM | May 4 | Jan 12 | Mar 23 |
| Savannah, GA | Mar 2 | Nov 10 | Jan 19 |
| Seattle, WA | Mar 2 | Nov 10 | Jan 19 |
| Shreveport, LA | Mar 9 | Nov 17 | Jan 26 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | May 1 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 26 | Jan 4 | Mar 15 |
| Springfield, MO | Apr 9 | Dec 18 | Feb 26 |
| Springfield, IL | Apr 14 | Dec 23 | Mar 3 |
| St. Louis, MO | Apr 2 | Dec 11 | Feb 19 |
| Syracuse, NY | Apr 29 | Jan 7 | Mar 18 |
| Tallahassee, FL | Mar 11 | Nov 19 | Jan 28 |
| Toledo, OH | Apr 22 | Dec 31 | Mar 11 |
| Topeka, KS | Apr 12 | Dec 21 | Mar 1 |
| Tucson, AZ | Feb 5 | Oct 16 | Dec 25 |
| Tulsa, OK | Mar 31 | Dec 9 | Feb 17 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Mar 17 | Nov 25 | Feb 3 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 24 | Dec 2 | Feb 10 |
| Wichita, KS | Apr 11 | Dec 20 | Feb 28 |
| Wilmington, NC | Mar 19 | Nov 27 | Feb 5 |
| Worcester, MA | Apr 23 | Jan 1 | Mar 12 |
| Yakima, WA | May 8 | Jan 16 | Mar 27 |
Timing offsets: Oregon State University Extension seed-starting table. Frost dates: NOAA 1991–2020 normals (50% probability). Cities where frost is rare are left out, because timing there depends on heat, not frost.
Other crops
- When to plant beans
- When to plant broccoli
- When to plant brussels sprouts
- When to plant cabbage
- When to plant cauliflower
- When to plant sweet corn
- When to plant cucumbers
- When to plant kale
- When to plant leeks
- When to plant lettuce
- When to plant melons
- When to plant peas
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant squash
- When to plant tomatoes