Plant PulseRed onion
Allium Cepa L.
Red onion. Sourced figures stay next to their citation. Planting windows are listed for locations that have one. Unsourced fields say coming soon.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Red onion – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, Sinhala page, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-redonion-si/; confirm for your microclimate.
Spacing
- In-row spacing
- coming soon
- Between-row spacing
- coming soon
Other sourced figures
- Soil pH
- 6–7
From farmer field experience
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
- Nursery days: 28–35 days
- Nursery days for seedlings. Bulblets are also used.
- Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
- Days to first harvest: 60–90 days
- Days after transplanting.
- Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
- Harvest window: 10–15 days
- How long the bulbs stay at a useful size.
- Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Market months
Prices vary by week, market, and year. This is not financial advice.
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
Higher prices: October–December
Bulb rot when Jaffna and Puttalam get rain.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Higher prices: April–May
Bulb rot when Jaffna and Puttalam get rain.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Lower prices: January–March
Bulb rot when Jaffna and Puttalam get rain.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Lower prices: July–August
Bulb rot when Jaffna and Puttalam get rain.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Planting windows
Colombo — Low Country Wet Zone
Official planting windows: coming soon.
From farmer field experience
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
April–May
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Apr, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around June–July). Plant in May, first harvest around July–August. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Low Country Wet Zone, April–May, on raised beds.
Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
October–November
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Oct, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around December–January). Plant in Nov, first harvest around January–February. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Low Country Wet Zone, October–November, on raised beds.
Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Mid Country
Official planting windows: coming soon.
From farmer field experience
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
May–June
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in May, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around July–August). Plant in Jun, first harvest around August–September. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Mid Country, May–June.
Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
December–January
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Dec, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around February–March). Plant in Jan, first harvest around March–April. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Mid Country, December–January.
Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
Up Country Wet Zone
Official planting windows: coming soon.
From farmer field experience
Based on hands-on growing experience from Sri Lankan farmers. Not yet verified against official sources.
Not recommended in this zone
Direct sow or transplant
Farmer field notenoted Oct 2026
Not recommended in this zone. Not a useful red-onion climate in this note. This is reviewed field experience, not an official Department of Agriculture prohibition.
Unverified — based on Farmer field experience, noted 2026-10-23; confirm for your microclimate.
No when-to-plant page for a zone where this crop is not recommended.
Low Country Dry Zone
September–November
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Sep, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around November–December). Plant in Nov, first harvest around January–February. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Sinhala red-onion page: dry-zone rainfed Maha, September to November.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Red onion – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-redonion-si/; confirm for your microclimate.
March–April
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Mar, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around May–June). Plant in Apr, first harvest around June–July. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Sinhala red-onion page: dry-zone rainfed Yala, March to April.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Red onion – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-redonion-si/; confirm for your microclimate.
December–January
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in Dec, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around February–March). Plant in Jan, first harvest around March–April. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Sinhala red-onion page: with extra water, Maha from December to mid-January. The grid marks December and January.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Red onion – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-redonion-si/; confirm for your microclimate.
May–June
Transplant
Farmer field experience. Using 60–90 stored days. Plant in May, first harvest about 60–90 days later (around July–August). Plant in Jun, first harvest around August–September. Calculated from the stored day count and the planting month. It is not a separate harvest calendar.
Sinhala red-onion page: irrigated Yala, May to mid-June. The grid marks May and June.
Unverified — based on Field Crops – Red onion – Sinhala, Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, accessed 2026-10-20: https://doa.gov.lk/field-crops-redonion-si/; confirm for your microclimate.