In my zone 5B, I have to start them inside close to 10 weeks before the last frost date and then transplant out around 3 weeks before last frost in order to get enough top growth to get a good sized onion. I did try once direct seeding them as well as letting them reseed one year (from a couple I forgot on the harvest) and they only produced scallions - not bulbs of any size.

If they were direct seeded in the spring and harvested in the fall, do you get a pearl sized onion?

thanks,

Dean