I Started Onions at the Hottest Time of Year...Here’s What Happened

Just over a year ago I started onion seeds at completely the wrong time of year. It was too hot, I knew it was too hot, and I did it anyway. Today we dig the whole bed up and find out how badly that went.

Short version: not great. A lot came up, not much stuck. The shallots rotted. Most of the other varieties didn't survive my neglectful gardener hand at all.

But the onions I'd clipped and stuck straight in the ground? Those made it. And there are new onions coming up from seed that dropped on their own — so the bed has been quietly reseeding itself while I wasn't looking.

Not a complete fail. Just not the one I planned.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

0:00 I started onions at the worst possible time
0:29 The verdict up front: mostly a fail
1:02 What actually survived
1:38 Pulling the rest of the bed
2:24 Laying it out — look at these green onions
3:17 Storm rolled in, so we process indoors
4:44 Not too shabby

🧅 WHAT ACTUALLY WORKED

Clipped onion bottoms stuck in the ground · a handful of the planted onions · volunteer seedlings from seed that fell on its own · green onion tops, which came back thicker than what I put in

🪦 WHAT DIDN'T

Shallots — rotted in a cluster · every other variety in that bed · most of the seed-started onions, which came up and then went nowhere

📍 I'm in zone 9b, northeast Florida. Any date I give you is mine, not yours. The methods travel — the calendar doesn't. If you're somewhere cooler, “too hot to start onions” lands on a completely different page of your calendar.

💚 SUPPORT MICHELLE IN THE MEADOW

If you're interested in any of the products we show on this channel, you can use the links below to find them and make a purchase. These are affiliate links, which means I'll earn a small commission when you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. These commissions add up and help support this channel and my family. We are grateful when you take the time to click on the links we provide.
https://michelleinthemeadow.com/support/
Vego Garden Bed https://michelleinthemeadow.com/vego
Birdies Garden Bed https://michelleinthemeadow.com/epic

🌻 ABOUT MICHELLE IN THE MEADOW

I'm growing on a 1/4 acre suburban lot in northeast Florida, zone 9b. We have more than 80 individual fruit trees and shrubs and more than a dozen different kinds of annuals growing on this property. The slopes make for some interesting ways to garden, but we're trying to make the best of it.

On the first Sunday evening of each month, 7PM Eastern, I go live here sharing updates and answering your questions.

If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and consider subscribing to follow along. Until next time, my friends — remember to drink plenty of water, wear high-quality sunscreen, and have a fantastic day.

• I Started Onions at the Hottest Time of Ye…