Georgia, U.S. · outdoor planting

When to plant onions in Georgia

For mature onions, the Middle Georgia chart lists January 1–March 15 and September 1–December 31, but the better decision depends on region and planting material. South Georgia can direct-seed in September or October or set out plants in November or December; North Georgia sets out plants in early to mid-March. Green bunching onions are a different, faster goal.

Choose my onion goal
Page scope
Mature onions
Green bunching path shown separately
Middle spring
Jan 1–Mar 15
Middle fall
Sep 1–Dec 31

One query, two harvest goals

Decide whether you want bulbs or green bunching onions

The broad planting-chart row is labeled mature onion. UGA handles green bunching onions separately, so the page does too.

Mature onion, spring chart

January 1 – March 15

Middle Georgia chart range; North Georgia guidance favors plants in early or mid-March.

Mature onion, fall chart

September 1 – December 31

Middle Georgia chart range; South Georgia guidance separates September–October seed from November–December plants.

Method changes with region

South Georgia can seed in fall; North Georgia uses spring plants

This crop has better regional evidence than a generic two-week shift, so the public answer uses the crop-specific branches.

North Georgia

Set out plants in early or middle March.

Do not borrow South Georgia’s September–October direct-seeding instruction.

Middle Georgia

Use the chart ranges as a starting frame and choose plants, sets or seed only when the goal supports it.

The broad row does not explain every onion type.

South Georgia

Direct-seed mature onions in September or October, or set out plants in November or December.

This branch is the strongest crop-specific fall instruction in the source.

Before buying seed, sets or plants

Name the harvest and the region first

The wrong planting material can make a correct calendar date useless.

  • You have chosen mature dry bulbs or green bunching onions as the outcome.
  • The planting material matches that outcome and your Georgia region.
  • The date follows the crop-specific North or South branch where one exists.
  • The bed receives full sun and has the drainage expected for a home vegetable garden.

Match material to outcome

Do not treat seed, sets and plants as interchangeable

For mature bulbs, start with region

South Georgia has a supported fall seed-or-plant split; North Georgia has a spring plant target.

For green bunching onions, use sets or plants

UGA gives roughly 6–8 weeks to eating size and about 2 inches between plants.

For the broad Middle chart, keep the label visible

The January–March and September–December ranges refer to mature onions.

Avoid a Vidalia shortcut

A regional product name does not justify a separate doorway page or a copied commercial schedule.

Resolve the ambiguous query

The harvest goal comes before the calendar

Someone asking when to plant onions may mean quick green onions or stored bulbs. Those are not the same job.

Green bunching goal

Use sets or plants

Plan around the roughly 6–8 week path to eating size instead of the mature-onion chart.

South Georgia bulbs

Fall method depends on month

Direct seed in September or October; use plants in November or December.

North Georgia bulbs

Use the March plant target

Set out plants in early or middle March rather than copying the South Georgia seed window.

Middle Georgia edge

The chart is broad, so verify the material

Plants or sets may fit, but the page does not invent a single method for the entire four-month fall span.

Intent boundary

This page does not promise a Vidalia production calendar

Vidalia onions have a protected regional identity and commercial production guidance. The page answers the ordinary Georgia home-garden timing question.