When to plant onion in Chesapeake
Onion is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chesapeake's frost dates of Mar 18.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Jan 7 – Jan 28
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Mar 21 – Apr 11
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 19 – Jul 9
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
90 – 110 d
Chesapeake's 248-day season leaves this much room.
Onion on Chesapeake's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAR 18
NOV 18
Common questions
When will onion be ready to harvest in Chesapeake?
Expect to harvest from around mid June (Jun 19–Jul 9) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When should I start onion seeds indoors in Chesapeake?
Start seeds indoors around early January (Jan 7–Jan 28) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When can I transplant onion outdoors in Chesapeake?
Transplant outdoors around late March (Mar 21–Apr 11) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
How long is the growing season in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake has roughly 248 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow onion to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow onion as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Chesapeake's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.