Plant Onions in Zone 7a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 7a

Start indoors

Jan 30

Transplant

Mar 27

Harvest (~100d)

Jul 5

Zone 7a averages 198 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 10 to a first fall frost around October 25. Onions needs roughly 100 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 51 percent of that window. Onions is a hardy crop, which is what decides where in the window it belongs.

Because onions needs a head start, sow seed indoors around Jan 30, about 10 weeks ahead of the Zone 7a last frost. Transplants go out around Mar 27. Starting earlier than that in Zone 7a usually backfires: plants outgrow their cells and stall when they finally hit cold soil.

Planting onions for a fall harvest in Zone 7a

Yes. Plant onions between September 13 and October 4 in Zone 7a, roughly 6 to 3 weeks before the average first frost, so it roots before the ground freezes.

Short-day onion sets planted in fall overwinter in zone 7 and warmer and bulb up months ahead of a spring planting.

Plant from

Sep 13

Plant by

Oct 4

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 7a average first frost, not forward from a sowing date. See the fall planting calendar by zone for the full method.

Spring vs fall onions in Zone 7a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	Jan 30	Mar 27	Jul 5
Fall	by Oct 4	Oct 4	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 10

First fall frost

Oct 25

Growing season

198 days

Onions in nearby zones

Onions in Zone 6b (colder) Onions in Zone 7b (warmer) Full Onions grow guide Zone 7a planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 7a

Tomatoes in Zone 7a Peppers in Zone 7a Cucumbers in Zone 7a Lettuce in Zone 7a Zucchini in Zone 7a Carrots in Zone 7a Beans (bush) in Zone 7a Peas in Zone 7a Broccoli in Zone 7a Spinach in Zone 7a Kale in Zone 7a Garlic in Zone 7a Potatoes in Zone 7a Squash (winter) in Zone 7a Corn in Zone 7a Radishes in Zone 7a Beets in Zone 7a Eggplant in Zone 7a Basil in Zone 7a Cilantro in Zone 7a Parsley in Zone 7a Pumpkins in Zone 7a Sunflowers in Zone 7a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start onions in Zone 7a?

Start onions seeds indoors around Jan 30 (Zone 7a).

Can I direct sow onions in Zone 7a?

Onions is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 7a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant onions in the fall in Zone 7a?