Onions are planted early in the spring and harvested from midsummer through the fall. Whether you start your onions from seed or from sets, there are some tricks of the trade that make the difference between a great crop and a disappointing one. See how to plant, grow, and harvest onions.
We prefer planting onion sets over starting them from seeds, simply because the sets establish quickly and are easier to plant.
For more information on how to grow Onions click the following hyperlink to Farmers Almanac Onions.
For other resources please click on Cornell Universities Onions link or click on Gardening Know How's Onions link.
Vegetable (Cool Season) - Onion Family
Also known as tree onions, multiplier onions (topset), walking onions
Allium cepa var. proliferum
Alliaceae Family
Similar to shallots - but with a much stronger flavor - this perennial allium produces numerous bulbs below ground, and as a bonus forms clusters of sets for replanting on its stalk.
For more information on how to grow Egyptian Onions click the following hyperlink to Cornell Cooperative Extension's Egyptian Onion link.
Vegetable (Cool Season) - Onion Family
Also known as potato onion, multiplier onion (root)
Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Alliaceae Family
An easy-to-grow gourmet favorite, these perennial onions produce a cluster of smaller bulbs instead of one large bulb. You can replant small bulbs for next year’s crop.
For more information on how to grow Shallots click the following hyperlink to Cornell Cooperative Extension's Shallots link.
For other resources please click on Gardening Know How's Shallots link.
Description: Long day. Very well known globe-shaped heirloom onion that reaches a really huge size—5 lbs. is rather common! The skin is a pale yellow and the flesh is relatively mild and sweet, so is recommended for fresh use—not a storage type. Introduced in 1887 by David Murray, gardener for the Marquis of Ailsa, at Culzean Castle in Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Onion Seeds, Akatama Salad Red:
Description: The name translates to Red Jewel, and this sweet red onion from Japan is celebrated for its mellow profile and noticeable lack of pungent flavor and odor. Its deep purple color continues through each layer. These plants reach 30 inches tall and the flattened, globe-shaped bulbs reach about 12 ounces on average. Excellent for raw eating or roasting.
Onion Seeds, Australian Brown:
Description: Intermediate day. Introduced in 1897 by W. Atlee Burpee. This variety produces extra fine, large bulbs that have superb flavor! The yellow-brown roots are a standard on our farm for their sureness to produce quality.
Description: Intermediate day. Beautiful red cipollini-type, flat gourmet onion from Italy. It is bright red in color and very flat, perfect for fresh eating or cooking. This is a very old Italian variety that was mentioned by Vilmorin in 1885. A good choice for fresh market. Early.
Onion Seeds, Ishikura Bunching:
Description: A uniform and flavorful bunching onion, it is a popular and traditional Japanese variety for sukiyaki, soup, and salads. Ishikura reaches enormous proportions (to two feet tall, one inch across) while remaining tender and scallion-like, never forming a bulb. A perfect heat- and cold-tolerant green that is a go-to choice to grow alongside Asian greens in the cool season! No garden should be without this easy-to-grow culinary staple!
Description: Long day (potentially intermediate). Our favorite red onion, this torpedo-shaped allium from the capital of Tuscany has a delectable, perfectly balanced flavor and grows exceptionally well indoors or outdoors at our farm in Missouri. The oblong shape makes for easier cutting and more uniform slices! The red bulbs also contain anthocyanin, a healthful antioxidant. These oblong, bright red onions are great for planting spring or fall; they are widely adapted and seem to do well in many areas. They are very mild and sweet, great for salads and pickling! A delicious Italian heirloom. Very rare.
Description: Famous in Italy as the Cipolla di Tropea, it is grown on the clay cliffs descending Mount Poro. It was brought to Calabria by the Greeks, who discovered it via the Assyrians and Babylonians. Deep purple, rounded and at times elongated, bulbs have an extraordinary sweetness and amazing delicate scent with a light and enjoyable taste. Much sought after by gourmet chefs, it can also be baked, boiled, and used as a filling for omelettes. In Tropea, it is also used to produce a delicious onion marmalade.
Onion Seeds, Texas Early Grano:
Description: This sweet, white short day onion has been proudly grown in the Lone Star State since 1944. The Grano onion was originally introduced to the U.S. in 1925 from Valencia, Spain. In the 1930s the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station began an onion breeding program; the Grano was trialed and selected for early maturation and extra-sweet flavor, and thus the Texas Early Grano was born. These extra-sweet and early Vidalia-type onions have a thin skin and supremely mild flavor, so sweet they can be eaten like an apple!
Onion Seeds, Unzen Early Flat:
Description: The ultimate salad onion, this flat white variety is crunchy and juicy, and drips with sweet onion flavor. This short day onion hails from Nagasaki, Japan, and is considered an important variety in Japanese culture and cuisine. Named for a volcano that overlooks Nagasaki, Unzen is ideal for snacking, adding to salads, or topping sandwiches. The roots are small, flattened and perfectly uniform. It is a traditional variety of this famous Japanese city on the island of Kyushu.
Description: The Galmi onion comes from the village of Galmi, a small community in the Ader Valley of southeast Niger. It is here where this flavorful onion was developed and is believed to have been grown, selected, and passed down for over 100 years. It is now a popular onion in several other African countries as well. Flat, thick bulbs are of good quality and are a beautiful pinkish-purple color; it also keeps well, making it a perfect choice as a short day onion.
Onion Seeds, Wethersfield Red:
Description: Long day. This variety dates to the 1700s. Popular from New York to Bermuda, it brought much wealth to the onion growers of New England, as well as to the Yankee traders who sold shiploads of it. The 1856 Comstock, Ferre and Co. catalog states, “It is the kind mostly grown at Wethersfield. It grows to large size, deep red, thick, approaching to round shape, fine-grained, pleasant flavored, and very productive. It ripens in September and keeps well.” It is a slightly flattened, deep blood-red onion of renowned quality. A true piece of horticultural Americana that deserves to be more widely grown.
Description: Short day, medium-sized, round bulbs have a translucent white flesh that is very firm. This variety is an excellent choice for southern growers; forms perfect bulbs and has excellent storage quality. Excellent fresh or cooked, White Creole is a top choice for dehydrating and has a pungent flavor.
Onion Seeds, Yellow of Parma:
Description: Long day. Large, golden onions are oblong globe-shaped. This late onion makes an excellent keeper; a rare and hard-to-find Italian variety.
Onion Seeds, Yellow Sweet Spanish:
Description: Long day. One of the best yellow onion varieties. Excellent choice for beginner gardeners, this is one of the easiest and most adaptable onions to grow. The large fruit easily grows to 1 pound each and with good storage quality. Large Sweet Spanish is a staple for the home gardener and market farmer looking for a reliable and flavorful heirloom onion.
Description: Cuisse de Poulet du Poitou Is a gorgeous heirloom French eschalion or “banana” type shallot yields plump, long, torpedo-shaped bulbs. Bulbs are brown tinged with pink. The flesh is very mild and sweet, and large yields may be had starting the first year from an early planting. Excellent keeping quality makes these gourmet shallots useful over a very long season!
Onion Bulbils, Red Catawissa Walking:
Description: This famous red walking onion from Pennsylvania is a favorite historic kitchen garden variety. The plants, which are also known as tree onions and perennial onions, produce bulbs at both the top and bottom of the plant. All parts of the plant - bottom bulbs, stems, and the bulbils or mini bulbs produced at the top of the 2- to 3-foot stalks - are edible.
Onion bulbils, White Egyptian Walking:
Description: A delectable, sweet, topsetting onion with snow-white flesh and skin. Ideal for permaculture gardens, edible landscaping, or a low-maintenance food crop! Also known as tree onions and perennial onions, the plants produce bulbs at both the top and bottom of the plant.
Onion Bulbs, Shirley Hammond Multiplier:
Description: This gorgeous variety was first shared by Shirley Floyd Hammond and her daughter Stephanie Tetterton. Click here to learn more about the special place that the onion holds in the family. A single bulb of these small, white-skinned onions will produce a clump of 7 to 15 onions. These onions are great to use in roasts and stews, but with their mild flavor, they are also great raw.
