Allium cepa var. cepa
Botanical Name
Allium cepa var. cepa
Hardiness
Annual
Height
1 to 3 feet
Width
6 to 12 inches
Flowers
Mid summer: usually doesn't flower unless stressed or grown from sets that are too large
Fruit
Yellow, white, or red
Light
Full sun
Soil
Moist, well-drained, rich
Planting and Care
Transplant sets (young bulbs about .5 inch in diameter) 1 inch deep 2 to 4 weeks before last frost date, space 4 inches apart for large bulbs and 2 inches apart for small bulbs and 1 inch apart if harvesting scallions. Onions require consistent moisture and good weed control. Mulch to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
Harvesting
Harvest scallions when the greens are 6 inches tall.
Dig onions when the tops fall over and begin to dry. Use those started from sets first; they do not store as well as those started from seeds or plants. Cure the bulbs you plant to store. Braid the tops and hang them to air dry. Or spread them on a screen in a dry location. Give them one to two weeks to dry before storing in a cool, dry location.
Problems
Onion maggot, thrips, botrytis blight
Varieties to Consider
'Stuttgarter' - yellow
'Ebenezer' - yellow
'Vidalia Sweet'
'Red Hamburger'
'Ebenezer' - yellow
'Vidalia Sweet'
'Red Hamburger'
Did you know?
According to the American Onion Association, the average American eats 20 pounds of onions per year.