root · direct sow
Bunching Onion: how much to plant.
A family of 4 eating bunching onion a few times a week needs about 4 plants in ~1 sq ft, worth about $1 a year at the store. Here are the exact numbers for your household, and when to plant in every zone.
How much to plant
Plants, space, seeds, and value.
Counts assume about 3 servings per person per week with a germination buffer built in. Store value uses ~$6.00/lb retail, an estimate that varies by region and season.
| Household | Plants | Bed space | Seeds to buy | Store value / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1 | ~1 sq ft | ~2 | ~$0 |
| 2 people | 2 | ~1 sq ft | ~4 | ~$1 |
| 4 people | 4 | ~1 sq ft | ~8 | ~$1 |
| 6 people | 6 | ~1 sq ft | ~12 | ~$2 |
Spacing
1" in row · 12" between rows
Sow depth
0.5"
Days to harvest
60 from seed
When to plant
Sow windows by USDA zone, 2026.
Zone dates are typical, not exact. The free planner uses your ZIP code's frost dates, not just the zone, and shifts every window to match.
| Zone | Spring sow window | Fall sow window |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Apr 7 – May 22 | Jun 20 – Jul 31 |
| Zone 4 | Apr 2 – May 17 | Jun 30 – Aug 10 |
| Zone 5 | Mar 23 – May 7 | Jul 10 – Aug 20 |
| Zone 6 | Mar 13 – Apr 27 | Jul 20 – Aug 30 |
| Zone 7 | Feb 26 – Apr 12 | Jul 30 – Sep 9 |
| Zone 8 | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Aug 20 – Sep 30 |
| Zone 9 | Jan 13 – Feb 27 | Sep 9 – Oct 20 |
| Zone 10 | Dec 24 – Feb 7 | Sep 19 – Oct 30 |
Know when it's time to plant
Give us your ZIP and we'll email you a planting checklist for your exact frost dates, this month's list right now, then once a month when sow windows open.
One email a month, only when there's something to plant. Unsubscribe anytime.
Know before you grow
The practical stuff.
Ready to pick when
Pencil thickness or a bit fatter, tops still deep green. Pull what you need and leave the rest growing.
Yield
About 1 count per plant over ~1 productive weeks (~0.05 lb). Re-sow every ~21 days for a steady supply instead of one glut.
Watch for
Onion thrips · Onion maggot · Downy mildew · White rot, the pest guide covers organic fixes for each, and Pest Radar shows what gardeners near you are reporting right now.
Neighbors
Plays well with carrot, beet, lettuce, tomato. Keep away from bush bean, pole bean, snap pea. Which of these hold up, and what not to plant after
On the plate (per 100 g, USDA)
32 kcal · 2.6 g fiber · 18.8 mg vitamin C · 276 mg potassium
Related varieties
Stop guessing. Get your exact numbers.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for your ZIP code, not just your zone, in about 60 seconds.
Onion, bunching planting questions
How many bunching onion plants do I need per person?+
For steady eating (about 3 servings a week), plan on roughly 1 plant per person. A family of 4 needs about 4 plants, which takes around 1 sq ft of bed space.
How much space does bunching onion need?+
Space plants 1" apart in the row with 12" between rows. Sow 0.5" deep. Direct sow in the bed.
When should I plant bunching onion?+
It depends on your frost dates. Spring sowing is keyed to your last spring frost. It also has a fall window keyed to your first fall frost. The zone table on this page shows typical windows; enter your ZIP in the free planner for dates tuned to your exact location, not just your zone.
Is growing bunching onion worth it?+
At about $6.00/lb retail and ~0.05 lb per plant, a family-of-4 planting is worth about $1 a year at the store. Prices vary by region and season, so treat it as an estimate.