Harvest · Signals, not a promise
When to harvest onions
When to harvest onions here is cited harvest signals. Green and bulb onions stay type-separated. Tops-down fractions stay on their own sheets. Cure notes are not how long yours keeps.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Illustrative photograph — harvest signals stay on the cited sheets.
Growing lives on growing onions. Timing lives on when to plant onions. Care lives on onion plant care. Bunching plants live on growing green onions.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1314 (South Carolina)
Bulb when about three-fourths of tops have fallen. Cut tops 1–1½ in. Air-dry in shade. Green when tops 6–8 in.
Details and limits (3)
Bulb
Clemson HGIC 1314 (South Carolina): harvest bulb onions when about three-fourths of the tops have fallen over. Remove tops by cutting 1 to 1½ inches above the top of the bulb. Thoroughly air-dry bulbs in a shaded area before storage. Cue on their sheet — not a keeping promise.
Green
Clemson HGIC 1314 (South Carolina): harvest green onions when tops are 6 to 8 inches tall. Green cue on their sheet — not mixed with bulb.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1314 Harvesting & Storage. Tops-down fraction is three-fourths on this sheet. Not a fridge page.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Green at 6 in. Bulb when about two-thirds of dried tops have fallen. Field several days, then 1–2 weeks shaded cure. Cut tops ~1 in.
Details and limits (4)
Green
Maryland Extension (Maryland): harvest green onions when tops are 6 inches tall. Green cue on their sheet — not mixed with bulb.
Bulb
Maryland Extension (Maryland): bulb onions should be harvested when about two-thirds of the dried tops have fallen over. Cue on their sheet — not a keeping promise.
Cure
Maryland Extension (Maryland): onions may be pulled and left in the field for several days to dry, then cured, with tops intact, in a well-ventilated attic or porch out of the direct sun for 1 to 2 weeks. Cut off tops about 1 inch above the bulb prior to storing. Source range — not how long yours keeps.
Limit
Maryland onion garden page. Tops-down fraction is two-thirds on this sheet. Cure is their layout, not a protocol.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
About half the tops falling over and dry. Fork lift. Field if dry/warm, or indoor 75–90 °F for 2–4 weeks until scales dry and neck tight.
Details and limits (3)
Bulb
UMN Extension (Minnesota): harvest onions when about half the tops are falling over and dry. Undercut and lift bulbs with a spading fork. Cue on their sheet — not a keeping promise.
Cure
UMN Extension (Minnesota): you can leave onions on the ground for several days if the weather will be dry and warm, or bring them indoors to cure. Keep the onions in a warm (75°F–90°F), well-ventilated area for two to four weeks, until outer bulb scales are dry and the neck is tight. Two methods on their sheet — not one BioArva protocol.
Limit
Minnesota onion sheet. Tops-down fraction is about half on this sheet. Not a fridge page.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Green after 6 in. Most tops fallen naturally. Morning pull; garden dry until afternoon, or shade if hot sun. 2–3 weeks air. Cut tops 1½–2 in.
Details and limits (4)
Green
Illinois Extension (Illinois): pull green onions any time after the tops are 6 inches tall. Green cue on their sheet — not mixed with bulb.
Bulb
Illinois Extension (Illinois): harvest when most of the tops have fallen over. Allow the plants to mature and the tops to fall over naturally. Cue on their sheet — not a keeping promise.
Cure
Illinois Extension (Illinois): pull the mature onions in the morning and allow the bulbs to air dry in the garden until late afternoon. On especially hot, bright, sunny days, remove onions to a shaded location. Full air circulation for 2 to 3 weeks is necessary for complete drying and curing. After the bulbs dry, cut the tops 1½ to 2 inches long. Their methods — not one BioArva protocol.
Limit
Illinois onion page. Tops-down cue is “most” on this sheet. Cure is their layout, not a storage guarantee.
Utah State University Extension (Utah)
Tops fall over and papery skins have formed. Utah cue — not a keeping promise.
Details and limits (2)
Bulb
Utah State University Extension (Utah): harvest onions when the tops fall over and papery skins have formed. Utah cue — not a keeping promise.
Limit
Utah onions-in-the-garden sheet. Tops-down plus papery skins as cited. Not a fridge page.
Sources differ
Make it yours
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When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
How do you know when bulb onions are ready to pull?
Compare tops-down cues on the cited sheets. They do not agree on one fraction. Minnesota: about half. Maryland: about two-thirds. Clemson HGIC 1314: about three-fourths. Illinois: most, fallen naturally.
Are green onions harvested the same way as bulb onions?
No. Green and bulb stay type-separated. Clemson: green when tops are 6 to 8 inches tall. Maryland and Illinois: green when tops are 6 inches tall. Bulb cues on those sheets use fallen tops, not that height.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.