When to harvest onions in the Moscow region in 2025

What determines the deadlines in the Moscow region?

Anyone who has ever grown onions in their garden will easily recognize the ripening time of the bulbs by the main sign—the yellowing and lodging of the stems. If the green shoots have dried out and fallen to the ground, the onions need to be dug up. Waiting until the stems are completely dry before harvesting is not recommended, as the bulbs quickly become overripe and unsuitable for storage.

Traditionally, the period when it is already possible to dig up onions in the Moscow region begins from the end of July and lasts until mid-August, but only if the summer is warm and not rainy.

However, the Moscow region is known for its unstable weather conditions, so the ripening dates stated in the variety descriptions don't always match the actual ones. For example, if the weather is hot and dry all summer, the onions will ripen 1-2 weeks earlier than expected—in 70-80 days. In cool weather with occasional rain, the ripening process is slower.

If June turns out to be rainy, which is something the Moscow region is usually known for, then even by mid-August the harvest may still not be ripe.Dryness and warmth are crucial for the bulbs – under these conditions they ripen faster, acquire a milder flavor, and store longer.

Video: "When to Harvest Onions"

This video will show you how to determine the right time to start harvesting onions.

When do different species ripen?

Onions will be easier to dig up if you do some preparatory work about two weeks before harvesting: clear the bed of weeds and stop watering. To do all this on time, you need to know when specific onion species and varieties ripen. Since onions are most often grown for storage and consumption during the winter, we'll focus on them.

There are quite a few varieties of this vegetable crop, and they all differ in their ripening times: early-ripening (70–85 days from first sprouts to harvest), mid-season (90–110 days), and late (over 120 days). Early onions do not store well, so they are grown primarily for greens or summer consumption.

For winter storage, it's best to grow mid-season and late-season varieties. They can be stored throughout the winter, while late-season varieties can be stored until the next harvest.

However, the Moscow region's climate makes it difficult to grow late-ripening varieties, as rains can begin as early as August, which the crop is intolerant of. To ensure harvesting by mid-August, it's best to plant mid-season varieties that ripen in 100-110 days (Arzamas, Hercules, Orion, Globo, and Texas Yellow). Late-ripening varieties such as Kaba, Strigunovsky, and Krasnodarsky (120-123 days) can be harvested under plastic or from seedlings. Red (purple) onion varieties such as Danilovsky (110 days), Bombay, and Carmen (100-105 days) are good for storage.

A guaranteed harvest in the Moscow region can be achieved with early varieties. If you don't plan to store bulbs for the winter, you can choose promising varieties such as Bessonovsky (ripens in 85 days), Orion (90 days), and Red Baron red onion (92-95 days). The much-loved white onion (with white scales) is also suitable for storage and ripens well in this region. Popular varieties of white onions include Nevada (95 days), Snowball (100 days), Alba, and Comet F1 (120-125 days).

It's worth noting that onion sets can also be planted before winter to produce turnips. These bulbs begin to grow earlier, reducing the ripening period by 10–15 days. This means that early onions can be harvested approximately 70 days after emergence, while mid-season onions can be harvested after 85–90 days. Other popular varieties—leeks, shallots, slizuny, Welsh onions, and similar crops—don't cultivate their underground parts and are grown solely for their greens.

Cleaning according to the lunar calendar

Many gardeners try to harvest according to the lunar calendar. This approach is somewhat justified, as the moon influences all living things, and onions are no exception. It has long been believed that harvesting vegetables that grow underground (root vegetables, onions) is best done during the waning moon. This ensures better preservation of the harvest.

In 2025, the lunar calendar is favorable for gardeners, as the moon will be in its waning phase from July 28 to August 10 – precisely the time when onion harvesting traditionally occurs.

The beginning of August will be a favorable period for harvesting mid-season varieties of bulbs, but if you planted early varieties, then they need to be dug up earlier, somewhere around mid-July.

According to the lunar calendar, the favorable period for digging up early onions in the Moscow region is the beginning of the month – until July 12, during the waning moon.

When planning your onion garden according to the lunar calendar, be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast to ensure you get everything done before the onion season begins.