When to plant onions in Oregon and Washington

In Portland: Plant onion sets Mar 1 – Apr 5. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 2. Find your city below.

Plant as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. Pick long-day varieties for the Northwest.

Onions planting dates by city

City	Plant in the garden
Astoria, OR	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Baker City, OR	Apr 20 – May 25
Bend and Redmond, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 2
Burns, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 4
Coos Bay and North Bend, OR	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Eugene, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Gresham, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Klamath Falls, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 2
Medford, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Pendleton, OR	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Portland, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Roseburg, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Salem, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
The Dalles, OR	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Bellingham, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Ellensburg, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Everett, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Forks, WA	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Moses Lake, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Olympia, WA	Mar 18 – Apr 22
Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Spokane, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Vancouver, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Walla Walla, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Wenatchee, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Yakima, WA	Mar 27 – May 1

Prepare the bed: loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant onion sets on your city's dates, 4 inches apart, sets 1 inch deep, tip just showing.
Water regularly and keep the bed weeded; onions don't compete well.
Harvest: When the tops flop over in late summer, pull the onions and let them dry in a shady, airy spot for two weeks.

Weeds outcompete onions' thin leaves. Keep the bed weeded and mulched.