Onions are a vegetable grown for its edible bulb. They have a fan of hollow blue-green leaves. The onion bulbs are shortened, compressed stems surrounded by fleshy scales (leaves) around a central bud at the tip of the stem. Onions come in several different types and colors.
Onions can be short-day, long-day or intermediate day varieties. Short-day varieties do best in the southern US, long-day varieties do best in northern states and intermediate-day do well in most areas except for the furthest north and deep southern gardens.
Yellow onions are the standard cooking onion. Sweet onions are used raw. Red onions are spicier and used for roasting, grilling and pickling. White onions typically have a stronger flavor but with less aftertaste. They are used in Mexican cuisines and also as a side to fried fish or barbecue. Scallions have a milder flavor than regular onions and are used in stir-fry and soups. They can be eaten raw or cooked.
Onions should be planted in late February and early March. They do best when temperatures are cool. Most onions will mature in approximately 100 days. Harvest them when two-thirds of tops have fallen over. Careful handling to avoid bruising helps control storage rots.
Cure onions after harvest in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot away from direct sun light for one to two weeks. Tops may be left on or cut off, but leave at least one inch of the top when storing. Thorough curing increases storage life.
We grow onions in our 1204 Vegetables, #4 Charley’s Vegetables and #4 Peace Farm Organics size categories. In the 1204 Vegetables we carry Candy, Red Burgundy and Walla Walla Onions. In the #4 Charley’s Vegetables we carry Evergreen Bunching Onions. In the #4 Peace Farm Organics, we carry the Purple Bunching Onions.
Candy Onion
Candy Onions are popular, large sized onions that have a sweet, mild flavor. The bulbs are yellow, globe-shaped and slightly flattened. Candy is easy to grow due to their disease resistance and strong root systems. They have to potential to grow onions up to 6 inches wide in optimal conditions.
Plant transplants in full sun 4-6″ apart in 12-24″ rows.
Candy Onions mature in 85-100 days. Harvest when the necks become soft and the tops fall over.
Candy Onion is a day length neutral (also called intermediate day) variety that will grow well in most locations. They can be stores up to 3 months in a cool, dry environment if cured and stored properly.
Red Burgundy Onion
(Image is generic red onions)
Red Burgundy Onions have a sweet, mild flavor that is great for salads and sandwiches. They are reddish-purple in color with smooth, glossy skin. Their bulbs are slightly flattened and their flesh is white with shades of pink.
Red Burgundy Onions are short day onions which means they will make bulbs earlier in the year under shorter days. Because of this they are recommended for the southern U.S. where the temperatures are warmer year around. In northern gardens, they tend to stop growing under shorter days and produce a smaller bulb more like a bunching onion.
Plant transplants in full sun 4-6″ apart in 12-24″ rows.
Red Burgundy Onions mature in 100 days.
Red onions are milder in flavor when harvested early then tend to be more pungent later in the season. Early harvested red onions can be eaten fresh while later harvested ones can be cured and stored. They can be stored in a cool, dry locations that is well ventilated.
Walla Walla Onion
Walla Walla Onions are large and flattened heirloom onion with yellow to light brown skin and white flash. These sweet, crisp onions have a very, mild flavor and don’t have a pungent aroma. They are topped by nice, green stems that can be used as green onions once they reach 8″ tall.
Plant transplants in full sun 4-6″ apart in 12-24″ rows.
Walla Walla Onions mature in 90-110 days. They reach 3-6″ at maturity. If planted in the fall, they are slightly larger than ones planted in spring. Harvest when the tops dry up and fall over.
These onions are not for storage and need to be used fairly quickly. They are less acidic than others and best eaten fresh.
Evergreen Bunching Onion
Evergreen Bunching Onions are easy to grow and the fastest to harvest. The clusters of long, tasty stalks are green with white bulbs that have a mild onion flavor. They are disease resistant and extremely cold hardy down to -30°F and can be over wintered. When over wintered they develop into a dense patch that can be divided into a new crop the second year.
Plant in full sun about 6″ deep and about 2-6″ apart when the transplants are at least 8″ tall in 16-20″ rows. Plant every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest.
Evergreen Bunching Onions mature in 65 days. They are ready for harvest when about 12″ tall.
Bunching Onions originated in China or Japan depending on the source. The “bunching” part of their name refers to how they are sold in bunches. They are also known as spring onions and scallions. Scallions is a generic term that applies to onions that do not develop a large bulb/onion.
Purple Bunching Onion
Purple Bunching Onions are a newer development in onion breeding. They have green stems with reddish-purple coloring along the bottom of the stems that extends down to almost the bottom of the bulb.. The plants retain its color throughout its growing period even in high and low temperatures. They have the same flavor of standard bunching onions.
Plant in full sun about 6″ deep and about 2-6″ apart when the transplants are at least 8″ tall in 16-20″ rows. The deep planting forces the leaves higher and results in extra-long stalks. Plant in early spring for summer harvest and in July or August for fall harvest.
Purple Bunching Onions mature in 60 days.