Looking for the best companies that offers onion starts. Last year I grew Cabernet and WallaWalla. This year I’d like to grow a large red sweet onion and maybe something else for cooking. Any suggestions for onions starts and places to grab a few would be appreciated.
I’d like to get some garlic in but it’s a little bit late for that here. Still like to know a solid company that sells garlic too.
I’ve ordered from Dixon (via a local vendor) and Jung. Sometimes I start them myself from seed, since it’s pretty easy… that’s my plan for this year.
As for garlic, there are 2 local supply stores that I order bulk from. I’m actually not sure where they order from, so someone else will have to help you out on that one. 
Soft neck can be planted in the spring.
See my first post for an additional comment on Garlic.
I once grew a row of sets and a row that I started from seed and a row of live plants from dixondale farms. i did six rows both yellow and white. I treated them all the same they were no more than 3 foot apart in rows.
Sets gave us green onions. no bulbs bigger than a half dollar. Both the rows I started from seeds and live plants form dixondale farms did great 
My conclusion… stick with live plants.
Your milage may vary.
When you do, about how long before your first frost do you start them?
Thanks good to know! Live starts is all I’ve ever done and it works really good for me. Normally buy them grown bunched together here in small pack and lightly tear each little onion start apart what’s funny is that I don’t recall ever losing an onion doing that. At that stage I guess they’re very resilient.
I have grown dutch type shallots from seeds. Depending on your region (I am in PNW where long day onions are suitable) you can start seeds a month ahead indoors under lights synced with number of hours of day light and ensure they are close to a pencil thick with min 3 leaves before putting them outside. Its too much work so now a days I just sow bulbs in the fall and harvest in summer.
Dixondale farms 
is a good source but much cheaper to buy seeds. And sow them inside to set out 10 to 12 weeks or so before your last frost date. They can be set out in the garden before then and can take a light frost but not a heavy frost. Also spray them because thips and maggots will find them. They need copious amount of nitrogen and ample water to grow lush blue green leaves. Dixondale has a grow guides that are spot on. Stop fertlizing when they start to fall over. All that energy goes to bulb development. Remember every leaf represents a ring in the bulb.
Happy growing…
Thanks I never worried about thrips on onions before. I did get black aphids on a pot of green bunching onions before but they were several seasons old and flowering.
Do you ever manure in to start the onions or is that too risky?
My last onions I use bone and blood meal and later on some organic 5-5-5 and gypsum they turned out very nice. If you don’t mind what’s your go to food or fertilizer?
There are many form of nitrogen for garden use. Here is the dixondale farms fertilizing requirements for onions. Their guides are pretty much spot on.
Not sure what’s up with the extra character after the link. But the link works.
Perfect. Been pretty much guessing the last few years but I see why it worked out so well for me after reading that. Especially the bottom 2 sentences. 
Yes that last two are the important ones.