Clear Dawn Onion is a long-day storage variety that has been carefully cultivated and perfected by Hudson Valley Seed over many years. This frost-hardy onion reaches maturity in 110 days and grows to a compact 18 inches tall, thriving across hardiness zones 1 through 10. What truly sets Clear Dawn apart is its exceptional storage capacity: after curing, these onions will keep for up to seven months, making them invaluable for gardeners in cooler climates who want homegrown onions well into winter.
Full Sun
Moderate
1-10
18in H x 4in W
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High
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Clear Dawn is a northeastern gardener's dream, developed through years of careful cultivation specifically for long-day growing regions. The real strength here is storage longevity: cured bulbs keep for seven months, which is extraordinary for a homegrown crop. Its frost-hardy nature means it thrives from zone 1 to zone 10, and at just 110 days to maturity, it fits neatly into most growing seasons without rushing.
Clear Dawn is grown for fresh eating and, more importantly, for long-term storage. Home gardeners who want to preserve their onion harvest through fall and winter months find this variety particularly valuable. The extended storage life means you can grow a supply in summer and enjoy these onions throughout the cooler months without relying on purchased storage onions.
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Start seeds indoors 12 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds about 1 inch apart, keeping the seedbed at 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain excellent air circulation and avoid overwatering to prevent damping off, a common problem with onion seedlings.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when they reach 3 inches high and are about 1/4 inch thick. Space them 4 inches apart, or alternatively plant them in groups of 3 at 12-inch spacing. Transplant after your last frost, as Clear Dawn is frost-hardy and can tolerate cool conditions.
Harvest Clear Dawn when the tops have begun to yellow and flop over, a visual cue that the bulb has finished storing energy and is ready to be pulled. At 110 days to maturity, this typically occurs in late summer or early fall depending on your planting date. After harvesting, cure the onions in a warm, dry location with good air circulation before storing.
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“Hudson Valley Seed has been growing Clear Dawn for years before finally producing enough seed stock to offer it commercially. This represents a classic story of patient horticultural development: a variety refined through repeated cultivation in a specific region until it became reliable and abundant enough to share with gardeners beyond the seed company's own fields. The fact that it took time to generate adequate seed supply speaks to how carefully the variety is maintained and how seriously Hudson Valley treats seed quality.”