Arizona · Garden vegetables

Onion season in Arizona

Typically mid-April to late June, with peak early May through late May.

Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.

Desert sweets from the Yuma area come first; higher-elevation growers dig into summer.

At a glance

Early

From mid-April — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.

Peak

early May through late May — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.

Late

Through late June — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.

Season length

about 11 weeks end to end, shoulders included.

Onions

Look: Dry, papery skins with a tight, small neck and no green sprout poking from the top.
Feel: Rock hard through the shoulders — any softness at the neck means rot is starting inside.
Smell: Mild and faintly sweet through the skin; a strong oniony or musty smell signals a bruised or rotting bulb.
Tip: For sweets like Vidalias, pick the flattest bulbs on the table — the flatter the disc, the milder the bite.
Keeps: Cool, dark, dry pantry — storage types keep for months, sweet onions only a few weeks.

Chasing the season?

Onion peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:

The whole national sweep · everything in season in Arizona

Frequently asked questions

When is onion season in Arizona?

In Arizona, the onion season typically runs mid-April to late June, with peak availability early May through late May. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.

Can I pick my own onions in Arizona?

U-pick onion fields are basically unheard of — buy braids and bags straight off the farm stand. The best market weeks are early May through late May.

How long does onion season last in Arizona?

about 11 weeks end to end — mid-April to late June. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.