When to plant onions in Ohio

Plant out in Columbus

Mar 9–Mar 30

Across Ohio the window opens between February 25 and March 27. Find your city below; the dates follow each town's own average last frost.

Start indoors, Columbus: Jan 26–Feb 23
Plant out, Columbus: Mar 9–Mar 30
Last frost, Columbus: Apr 20

Start seeds indoors 8–12 weeks before the last frost; plant out 3–6 weeks before the last frost. Northern gardens need long-day varieties and southern gardens need short-day ones. A wrong pick gives small bulbs.

Onions planting dates by city

Start indoorsPlant outSow outdoorsFall plantingAverage last and first frost

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

ColumbusMar 9–Mar 30

ClevelandFeb 25–Mar 18

CincinnatiMar 5–Mar 26

ToledoMar 9–Mar 30

AkronMar 13–Apr 3

DaytonMar 7–Mar 28

ParmaMar 9–Mar 30

CantonMar 13–Apr 3

LorainMar 13–Apr 3

HamiltonMar 11–Apr 1

YoungstownMar 20–Apr 10

SpringfieldMar 14–Apr 4

KetteringMar 7–Mar 28

ElyriaMar 11–Apr 1

MiddletownMar 13–Apr 3

NewarkMar 18–Apr 8

Cuyahoga FallsMar 19–Apr 9

DublinMar 11–Apr 1

LakewoodMar 9–Mar 30

BeavercreekMar 7–Mar 28

EuclidFeb 25–Mar 18

MansfieldMar 15–Apr 5

MentorMar 4–Mar 25

DelawareMar 8–Mar 29

StrongsvilleMar 9–Mar 30

Grove CityMar 12–Apr 2

FairfieldMar 11–Apr 1

Huber HeightsMar 5–Mar 26

Cleveland HeightsFeb 25–Mar 18

ReynoldsburgMar 7–Mar 28

All 87 cities

City	Start indoors	Plant out	Last frost
Columbus	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Cleveland	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Cincinnati	Jan 22 to Feb 19	Mar 5 to Mar 26	Apr 16
Toledo	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Akron	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Dayton	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Parma	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Canton	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Lorain	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Hamilton	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Youngstown	Feb 6 to Mar 6	Mar 20 to Apr 10	May 1
Springfield	Jan 31 to Feb 28	Mar 14 to Apr 4	Apr 25
Kettering	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Elyria	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Middletown	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Newark	Feb 4 to Mar 4	Mar 18 to Apr 8	Apr 29
Cuyahoga Falls	Feb 5 to Mar 5	Mar 19 to Apr 9	Apr 30
Dublin	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Lakewood	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Beavercreek	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Euclid	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Mansfield	Feb 1 to Mar 1	Mar 15 to Apr 5	Apr 26
Mentor	Jan 21 to Feb 18	Mar 4 to Mar 25	Apr 15
Delaware	Jan 25 to Feb 22	Mar 8 to Mar 29	Apr 19
Strongsville	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Grove City	Jan 29 to Feb 26	Mar 12 to Apr 2	Apr 23
Fairfield	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Huber Heights	Jan 22 to Feb 19	Mar 5 to Mar 26	Apr 16
Cleveland Heights	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Reynoldsburg	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Lancaster	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Findlay	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Hilliard	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Warren	Feb 13 to Mar 13	Mar 27 to Apr 17	May 8
Westerville	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
North Ridgeville	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Gahanna	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Upper Arlington	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Mason	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Fairborn	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Marion	Jan 31 to Feb 28	Mar 14 to Apr 4	Apr 25
Brunswick	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Lima	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Stow	Feb 5 to Mar 5	Mar 19 to Apr 9	Apr 30
Westlake	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Massillon	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
North Olmsted	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Bowling Green	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
North Royalton	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Austintown	Feb 13 to Mar 13	Mar 27 to Apr 17	May 8
Marysville	Jan 25 to Feb 22	Mar 8 to Mar 29	Apr 19
Garfield Heights	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Shaker Heights	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Kent	Jan 27 to Feb 24	Mar 10 to Mar 31	Apr 21
Green	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Troy	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Wooster	Feb 5 to Mar 5	Mar 19 to Apr 9	Apr 30
Avon Lake	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Xenia	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Pickerington	Jan 29 to Feb 26	Mar 12 to Apr 2	Apr 23
Medina	Feb 4 to Mar 4	Mar 18 to Apr 8	Apr 29
Avon	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Perrysburg	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22
Athens	Jan 31 to Feb 28	Mar 14 to Apr 4	Apr 25
Centerville	Jan 23 to Feb 20	Mar 6 to Mar 27	Apr 17
Zanesville	Feb 1 to Mar 1	Mar 15 to Apr 5	Apr 26
Barberton	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Wadsworth	Feb 4 to Mar 4	Mar 18 to Apr 8	Apr 29
Riverside	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Willoughby	Feb 1 to Mar 1	Mar 15 to Apr 5	Apr 26
Sandusky	Jan 16 to Feb 13	Feb 27 to Mar 20	Apr 10
Solon	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Trotwood	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Hudson	Feb 5 to Mar 5	Mar 19 to Apr 9	Apr 30
Maple Heights	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Oxford	Jan 25 to Feb 22	Mar 8 to Mar 29	Apr 19
Lebanon	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Chillicothe	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Alliance	Jan 30 to Feb 27	Mar 13 to Apr 3	Apr 24
Rocky River	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
South Euclid	Jan 14 to Feb 11	Feb 25 to Mar 18	Apr 8
Piqua	Jan 24 to Feb 21	Mar 7 to Mar 28	Apr 18
Painesville	Jan 21 to Feb 18	Mar 4 to Mar 25	Apr 15
Miamisburg	Jan 23 to Feb 20	Mar 6 to Mar 27	Apr 17
Parma Heights	Jan 26 to Feb 23	Mar 9 to Mar 30	Apr 20
Sidney	Feb 2 to Mar 2	Mar 16 to Apr 6	Apr 27
Forest Park	Jan 28 to Feb 25	Mar 11 to Apr 1	Apr 22

Questions

When should I plant onions in Ohio?

In Columbus, plant out from March 9 to March 30. Across Ohio the window opens between February 25 and March 27, depending on the local last frost.

How is this date worked out?

Start seeds indoors 8–12 weeks before the last frost; plant out 3–6 weeks before the last frost. Frost dates are NOAA 1991–2020 averages for the weather station nearest each city.

More for Ohio

Onions in other states

Frost dates for every city in Ohio