The Organic
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Vegetables · Bulb

Growing onion

Allium cepa · also called pyazA cool-season bulb crop grown as an annual from nursery seedlings. Leaves grow in cool weather and bulbs swell in warmth, so the season changes a lot from region to region.

North-west plains: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh

Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Includes AI suggestions where no published guide covers a detail
A crate of freshly harvested red, pink and white onion bulbs
Photo: Pascal Kings · CC BY 4.0

At a glance

Onion in the North-west plains

  • Season

    Mainly a winter (rabi) crop; also a kharif crop and green onion3,16

  • Sowing to last picking

    Rabi bulbs of Pusa Sona are ready 125 to 135 days after transplanting; green onion in kharif 75 to 90 days.16

  • Nursery

    Late October to mid-November3,16

    Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.

Across India

When to sow it

Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.

Sow now

The window here is Late October to mid-November.

Sowing now in:Sub-tropical foothillsGangetic plainsNorth-east hills and valleysArid westCentral plateauDeccan plateauWest coast
  • Nursery
  • Transplant
  • Harvest
  • Today
North-west plainsPunjab, Haryana, DelhiSub-tropical foothillsJammu, Kangra, DehradunTemperate HimalayaKashmir valley, Shimla, Kullu
Compare all 12 regions
Temperate HimalayaKashmir valley, Shimla, KulluCold desertLadakh, Lahaul and SpitiSub-tropical foothillsJammu, Kangra, DehradunGangetic plainseastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal plainsNorth-east hills and valleysAssam, Meghalaya, SikkimArid westRajasthan, Kutch, north GujaratCentral plateauMadhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, VidarbhaDeccan plateauinterior Maharashtra, Telangana, north KarnatakaSouth interiorBengaluru, Mysuru, interior Tamil NaduWest coastKerala, Goa, KonkanEast coastcoastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal Andhra
Today
See the dates as a table
RegionSowNurseryTransplantHarvest
North-west plainsLate October to mid-NovemberMay to JuneLast week of December to mid-JanuaryJuly to AugustLate April to May
Temperate HimalayaSeptember to early OctoberMarch to early AprilLate October to NovemberLate April to MayJune to JulyLate August to September
Cold desertAprilLate May to early JuneSeptember to early October
Sub-tropical foothillsOctober to NovemberAugustDecember to JanuaryOctoberMay to early June
Gangetic plainsOctober to NovemberJune to JulyAugust to SeptemberDecember to JanuaryAugust to SeptemberOctober to NovemberApril to May
North-east hills and valleysOctober to early NovemberLate November to DecemberLate March to April
Arid westEnd of May to first week of JuneOctober to NovemberMid to end of JulyDecember to JanuaryEnd of October to end of November
Central plateauNovember to DecemberJuly to AugustLate March to AprilOctober to November
Deccan plateauMay to JuneAugust to SeptemberOctober to NovemberJuly to AugustSeptember to OctoberNovember to DecemberOctober to NovemberMarch to April
South interiorFebruary to AprilMay to JuneSeptember to OctoberApril to JuneJuly to AugustNovember to December
West coastNovember to DecemberDecember to JanuaryApril to early May
East coastMay to JuneSeptember to OctoberAugust to SeptemberJuly to AugustNovember to DecemberOctober to November

From seed to harvest

One season, day by day

Days from sowing

  1. Before sowing

    Well decomposed farmyard manure11,16

    20 to 25 t per hectare · Mix well into the soil, about a month before transplanting. · Final land preparation

  2. Day 0

    Sow

  3. Day 6 to 10

    Seeds come up1,2,3,8Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.

  4. Day 40 to 55

    Transplant8,13,14,2,3

  5. Day 125 to 135

    Last picking16

Water every 5 to 7 days, more at bulb formation.16

What it needs

Soil, sun and warmth

  • Soil pH1,2,4,13

    5.8 to 7.5

    Light, deep, friable and fertile soil with good drainage: sandy loam to clay loam rich in organic matter. Waterlogging, a high water table, and strongly alkaline or saline soils do not suit it. Sandy soil needs more frequent watering and extra manure.

  • Sunlight4,15

    At least 10 hours a day

    Needs good light: at least 10 hours a day for growth and bulbing. The kharif crop bulbs with 11 to 12 hour days, and clear sunny weather at harvest helps curing.

  • Temperature1,2,4,16

    Grows best at 13 to 25 °C

    Takes light frost.

    Monthly temperatures for the North-west plains aren't in the library yet.

Water and feeding

Watering16

Flood irrigate straight after transplanting, then give light waterings every 5 to 7 days by soil moisture and weather. Avoid long dry spells: water after a long gap gives double and multiple bulbs. Stop 10 to 15 days before harvest. Drip saves water and gives better bulbs.

Weeding10,13

Onion is shallow rooted and closely planted, so weeds hurt it most in the first 30 to 45 days after transplanting. Hand weed and hoe lightly in this period.

WhenWhatHow muchHow
Final land preparationWell decomposed farmyard manure20 to 25 t per hectareMix well into the soil, about a month before transplanting.

Sources11,16

Varieties and yield

Typical range7

25 to 30 tonnes a hectare

Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.

Varieties grown here13,14,16

  • Pusa Sona

    IARI, rabi, zone II (Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu); creamy yellow; poor keeper.

  • Bhima Shakti

    ICAR-DOGR, rabi; recommended for Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and others.

  • NHRDF Red-2 (L-355)

    Rabi, zone III (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab).

  • NHRDF Red-3 (L-652)

    Rabi, recommended all over the country.

  • Agrifound Light Red

    Rabi, recommended all over the country.

  • Bhima Super

    ICAR-DOGR, kharif and late kharif; includes Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.

  • Bhima Dark Red

    ICAR-DOGR, kharif; includes Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.

Good neighbours10,13

Grows well with

Pests and diseases6,13,5

Organic and cultural controls only.

  • Pest

    Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci)

    Signs

    Tiny insects between the leaves suck sap; leaves get silvery blotches that turn brown and twist from the tip, and bulbs stay small.

  • Pest

    Onion maggot

    Signs

    Small white maggots eat into the base of the bulb; plants yellow and dry up, and bulbs rot in store.

    Prevention

    • Rotate crops; do not plant onion after onion.
    • Use only well rotted manure and avoid soil full of undecomposed matter.
    • Do not plant too close.

  • Pest

    Cutworm

    Signs

    Greasy brown caterpillars cut seedlings at ground level at night in the nursery and in newly planted fields.

  • Disease

    Purple blotch (Alternaria porri)

    Signs

    Small sunken white flecks with purple centres on leaves and flower stalks; they can girdle the leaf so it droops.

    Prevention

    • Plant healthy seed.
    • Rotate for 2 to 3 years with unrelated crops.

  • Disease

    Stemphylium blight

    Signs

    Small yellow to orange flecks in the middle of the leaves that grow into long spots with a pink edge; worst on seed crops.

    Prevention

    • Keep the field clean and destroy crop residues.

  • Disease

    Downy mildew

    Signs

    Violet fungal growth on leaves and seed stalks that turns pale yellow-green before the leaves collapse; worst in damp weather.

    Prevention

    • Do not plant late, over-fertilise or over-water.
    • Sun the bulbs meant for a seed crop for about 12 days.

  • Disease

    Basal rot

    Signs

    Leaves yellow and dry from the tip, roots turn pink and rot, and the bulb decays from the bottom.

    Prevention

    • Rotate and mix crops.
    • Solarise the soil under polythene for 30 days in summer.

  • Disease

    Black mould and neck rot in store

    Signs

    Black powdery spores on the scales, or soft, water-soaked scales from the neck.

    Prevention

    • Leave lifted bulbs in the field for 2 days, then dry them in shade for 10 to 15 days.
    • Avoid bruising bulbs when handling.

Seed and the season's end

Saving seed1,2,5

Onion takes two seasons to make seed. Raise bulbs from seed in the first year, then plant these mother bulbs 45 x 20 cm apart in October; the seed crop is ready in April or May. Keep at least 1,000 m between varieties and pull out off-type and sick plants. Sun the mother bulbs for about 12 days before planting to kill downy mildew.

Onion seed stays viable for only about one year.

After the last picking10

As a winter crop, onion follows cereals, groundnut or cowpea. After a monsoon or late monsoon onion, growers plant coriander, French bean, sorghum, pearl millet, chillies or groundnut.

Clear and destroy crop residues after harvest: the blight and anthracnose fungi survive on them.

Rotation

Do not grow onion on the same land year after year; keep 2 to 3 years between onion crops. As a winter crop it can follow cereals, groundnut or cowpea, and it does well after cauliflower, tomato or potato that got plenty of manure.

Sources

Where this comes from

Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.

These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.

  1. 10Onion: Intercultural Operations (weed control, rotation and mixed cropping)National Horticulture BoardRead the source
  2. 11Onion: Manuring and FertilizationNational Horticulture BoardRead the source
  3. 12Onion: Post Harvest Technology (curing, grading, storage)National Horticulture BoardRead the source
  4. 13How to get high yield from rabi onion? (Sable and Sonpure), Indian Horticulture, July-August 2023Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Indian Horticulture magazine)Read the source
  5. 14Scientific cultivation of kharif onion (Sable, Mahajan and Sonpure), Indian Horticulture, March-April 2021Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Indian Horticulture magazine)Read the source
  6. 16Pusa Sona: a new variety of onion (Joshi, Islam, Khar, Tomar and Pandita), Indian Horticulture, January-February 2020ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (Indian Horticulture magazine)Read the source
  7. 17Horticulture: Vegetables: Bellary onionTamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU Agritech Portal)Read the source
  8. 3Onion: Propagation (nursery beds, season of planting by state, raising seedlings, small bulblets)National Horticulture BoardRead the source
  9. 4Onion: Soil and ClimateNational Horticulture BoardRead the source
  10. 5Onion: DiseasesNational Horticulture BoardRead the source
  11. 6Onion: PestsNational Horticulture BoardRead the source
  12. 7Onion: Harvesting (and yield)National Horticulture BoardRead the source
  13. 8Onion: PlantingNational Horticulture BoardRead the source
  14. 9Onion: IrrigationNational Horticulture BoardRead the source

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