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Onions
 (Allium cepa)


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Cultivars

[There are separate pages here on scallions, shallots, and leeks.]
Onions growing.

"All good cooks of this one opinion: no dish savory without an onion." We forget now the exact provenance of that centuries-old saying, but we agree heartily (or at least one of us, the one who was not as a small child fed onion juice and whiskey as a cough syrup, does)

Little by little seed catalogues are starting to acknowledge the crucial but for long unpublicized fact that you cannot grow any onion anywhere. The broad division is into "short day" and "long day" types, because onions are day-length-sensitive (or, in truth, night-length-sensitive). The plants sense the length of the day (or, again, actually of the night) and use that datum to "decide" when to do what in their plantly lives.

The two types differ not only in daylength sensitivity, but in culinary and keeping qualities. The long-day onion class (also called "American") is substantially stronger-tasting, and also is of very much better keeping quality than the short-day (or "European") sort. The common apprehension that short-day types--such as the famed Vidalia--are "sweeter" is quite wrong: they are milder--less pungent--which is not at all the same thing; in fact, the long-day types have more actual sugar, and in consequence actually cook up sweeter (cooking minimizes or reduces the sulfur compounds that give onions their pungency).

In any event, we really have no choice: at our latitude, we must grow long-day (or at least intermediate-day) onions. (If we wanted a "sweet" onion, there is, of course, that famous Walla Walla, an odd exception to the long-day class; but, to us, such onions are "wimp's onions"--if you don't like honest onion flavor, don't use onions, use shallots, or use nothing.)

Connoisseurs (we will strive mightily to avoid the buzzword gourmet) apparently attach real significance to particular varieties of onion (Nero Wolfe, passing through his kitchen, takes a nibble of a raw onion his cook is slicing and asks "Ebenezer?" implying that a discriminating palate can tell one variety from another from but a taste, rather like a wine). But information on that topic seems close to nonexistent, whether on the web, on usenet, or even in cookbooks; it seems hard even to find agreement on whether red onions are milder or sharper in taste than yellows! So we have to make decisions based on scanty data.

Our initial choices, then, will have to come down to evaluation by other things than sheer culinary value, at least by broad classes of onion. With that said: globe white onions (the full-sized ones, not the buttons or the cippolini) by virtually all reports are little different from yellow in any way (save color), but are reportedly more difficult to grow, being more susceptible to various diseases; there seems, then, little point in bothering with any. (Some people do just prefer the color when preparing certain dishes, just as they prefer white pepper to black even though the taste is identical; we're not that sort of fussy.) So we'll want mostly yellow onions, the commonest in almost all uses (and decidedly the longest-keeping); some red for testing of taste differences and perhaps uses--such as in salads--where the color is an asset; and, for trialling, some of the specialty type, the Italian cippolini, which are significantly different from what are often called "pearl" or "cocktail" onions, though they too are small and white (and, by report, correspondingly difficult to grow, but we'll see).

The best yellow "keeping" onions can reportedly, under proper conditions (not always easily achieved), last till close to the time when "baby" onions can be taken from the next crop (under ideal conditions--temperature just over freezing, humidity circa 70%--they may well keep soundly for eight months, and one report mentioned an obscure type said to be keepable for two years).

Massive review of the literature available on the web and on usenet suggests that the best yellow "keepers" are the Australian Brown--technically an "intermediate-day type, though at least one university site classes it "long-day"--and the New Zealand standard Pukekohe Longkeeper (also rendered Pukekohe Long Keeper, and more recently also being called Creamgold, rather a catchier cognomen). Seed for the former is now increasingly available in North America, but for the well-respected Creamgold it is not--perhaps the recent name change will make it more attractive to seedsmen here in future years. A third long-keeping kind we see now in seedsmen's catalogues is the Clear Dawn; Bountiful Gardens said of it "won [our] storage test last year . . . onions grown the previous summer lasted until the following June in storage."

We will trial both available kinds: may the best onion win. (There's also a kind named Giant Zittauer said to keep very well; maybe year after next it can shoot it out with the winner of this coming year's trial.) The Australian Brown should certainly thrive up here: numerous Canadian seed catalogues, most from Alberta or Sasketchewan, praised it thoughout the 20th century. And the Clear Dawn is being grown in interior British Columbia.

Red onions of the long-day type also store well, but apparently not as well as yellows (why is unclear from the available literature). After very considerable research, we have concluded that the most promising reasonably available type is the Southport Red Globe, though there seem to be things to also be said for the Red Baron cultivar (which is also sold for use as "green onions") and for the Italian Rossa di Milano. The Southport Red Globe, once immensely popular, seems today curiously hard to find; indeed, we ended up settling for the much more widely available heirloom Red Wethersfield, no doubt a good red onion, if perhaps not quite as long-keeping as the red Globe; but we didn't want to be ordering one or two items from this or that seed house any more than is absolutely necessary (it's the overhead of "shipping and handling" on small orders).

(The "Red Creole" long keeper often mentioned as a good keeper, is a short-day type; for those in southen locations, be aware that there are both open-pollinated and hybrid varieties sold under that name: caveat emptor.

Despite the fact that the Italian onion type called "cipolinni" (literally, "little onions") is often compared to what in the U.S. are known as "pearl onions", the differences are significant. "Pearl " onions are any white (or even yellow) onion harvested when still pretty small; cipolini are a particular kind of onion (a long-day, long-keeping type) with a distinctive set of qualities. They will not be a large fraction of our onion crop, but they are a pleasing specialty and will be included. The Borrettana cipolini seems to be the preferred type.

So our onion cultivar selections are:

Incidentally: it seems to be consensus that seed-grown onion grows better and tastes better than onion from "sets."

We're also trying to establish a bed of so-called "top-setting" or "walking" onions; these curiosities neither bulb nor seed--they form clusters of very small "bulblets" (or "sets") on the tips of their leaf stalks. They are perennials, and can be harvested for use as scallions, plus the bulblets can be used as mini-onions; the bulbs' culinary quality is said to be decent but not outstanding--the trusty Vilmorin guide (1885) says of them "tolerably agreeable to the taste, but rather deficient in delicacy of flavour"--but they are also said to make great pickled onions. If all else we plan for onions works, we probably don't need these, but they make a nice novelty and are reportedly both very hardy and prolifically productive. There are several varieties commonly available; though we located a half dozen such, the two most commonly available are the original Egyptian and an improved strain--which we will use--named the Catawissa, a old red/brown type that is a little hardier and more productive than the original Egyptian.

There are yet other kinds of garden onion--the "potato onion", which is sort of like garlic or shallots in its growth pattern, and the related "multiplier onion"--but we are not going to get involved with those, at least not for a long time.


Planting

Best results, in quantity and quality, are from onions grown from seed, not from "sets". But beware: onion seeds are notoriously short-lived. If you aren't saving you own seed annually, don't try to be cheap and use last season's leftovers--get fresh seed every year.


Timing

Though onions can be direct-seeded hereabouts, it is probably best to start seedlings indoors, then transplant out--healthy onion seedlings can withstand cold temperatures, even down to 20° F.

Onions grow by first developing their "tops" (above-ground greens), then--when triggered by daylength--setting their bulbs. When they begin to set the bulbs, the tops stop growing. There are two utterly vital points involved here. Rule: an onion plant's bulb will never be bigger than its top. Corollary: grow tops as big as you can get them before bulb formation is triggered.

Around here, bulb formation on long-day cultivars begins sometime between late July and early August. We thus want to get our healthy seedlings into the ground as quickly as practicable, "about 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected spring frost". Most sources suggest April 1st as a good transplant target date. Since our average nightly low on that date is just freezing, 32°, and the 50-year worst lows around that time are 20° or so, that target appears just about right.

And if we're going to plant out on April 1st, we need to sow seed in middle February (that is, about 6 weeks ahead of transplant).


Starting Seedlings

Onion seed germinates best in the temperature range of about 75° to 85°; as always with germinating, heating pads help hold the wanted temperatures. Keep the growing mix well moistened. Seedlings usually start to emerge at 3 to 5 days; after emergence, the ideal temperature conditions are 60° to 65° daytime and 45° to 60° at night--but just do the best you can.

Some gardeners like to clip growing onion seedlings, sometimes more than once, when they reach a height of 4 inches or so--others just transplant them at that point. Either way, do harden off the seedlings in the usual way--slowly reduce water and temperature somewhat for up to a week--prior to transplanting.


The Bed

Onions prefer a sunny, sheltered position in loose, well-drained soil of high fertility with plenty of organic matter worked in. Onions are sensitive to highly acid soils, and grow best when the pH is between 6.5 and 6.8.


Transplanting Out

Transplant out after a few weeks, when the green tops are about 3 to 4 inches tall; if they get that tall too quickly--meaning well before you expected to transplant them and it's still pretty cold out--you can clip them back a bit or just let them grow--even expert opinion seems to vary here.

When setting out your transplants, be sure to only just cover their roots with soil, because the bulbs grow on top of the soil. (One source said: "Instead of planting them sticking straight up, we lay them down in a trench and move the soil back over their roots. In about 10 days they're standing up and growing along strongly.")

Space onions at about 4 inches; having a deep-dug or raised bed is good for them, as for all vegetables. Onions crowded too tightly will not develop well.


Growing

"Hot" (harsh, overstrong) onions are usually a result of insufficient watering. Onions have a shallow, meagre root system, and need their soil kept continually moist (but not flooded!). They want light but frequent watering--a drip hose might work well.

But . . . as the bulbs approach maturity, the bulbs stop growing and start putting on skin; that is the time to stop watering altogether, and let the bulbs finish in dry soil. (And pray it doesn't rain.)

Onion beds need to be kept very well weeded, because weeds easily out-compete onions for water and nutrients, owing to onions' weak root system. But, also because of that shallow, weak system, be sure to cultivate shallowly, with a careful hand and eye, lest you harm the onions themselves.

Since weeding will get you up close and personal with your onions, use the opportunity to keep a close eye out for any flower stalks that might appear--they shouldn't, but they might. If you see any (find some photos for positive identification), just pinch them off at the base (else your onion will bolt and be useless).

While onions like rich soil, avoid using any high-nitrogen based liquid fertilizers when your onions are well along, lest their growing efforts go into their leaves instead of their bulb.

Pull onions when the tops have gone brown and fallen over. Some gardeners break the tops and push them over to try hastening development, but that should not be necessary and may be a bad idea; just grow them and let them do their thing. Don't puncture them in extracting them from the soil. Afetr pulling them, let them dry in the sun for a day or so, then cure and store them as you would garlic or shallots.


More

Relevant Links

Besides any links presented above on this page, the following ought to be especially helpful.


Odds and Ends

Biology

Onions are of the Alliaceae family, the alliums (till recently called the Lilliaecae family). Besides such obvious relatives as leeks, scallions, and garlic, the onion's kin include lillies and hyacinths.


History

We won't try to re-invent the wheel; here is an excellent on-line history of onions.


Envoi

If you're here, you probably like onions; but if you don't, you can look in on the Official Homepage of the Anti-Onion League (AOL).





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