Onions (Allium cepa) are a cultivated vegetable of great antiquity, with a flavor profile that sits somewhere between true onions and garlic. These hardy bulbs grow 12-18 inches tall with a spread of 6-12 inches, thriving in zones 5-10 and reaching harvest in just 12 days when grown as sprouts or green onions. They're incredibly versatile, equally at home in the vegetable garden naturalizing among perennials or on the kitchen counter, and they actively resist deer and rabbit pressure that troubles many other crops.
Full Sun
Moderate
5-10
18in H x 12in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
What makes onions truly remarkable is their ancient lineage and remarkable adaptability across climates and growing methods. Whether you're sprouting them in a jar on your kitchen counter or planting sets directly in the garden, they reward consistent care with reliable harvests. Their mild flavor and forgiving nature make them accessible to beginners, while their showy summer blooms, reaching up to 24 inches tall with delicate bell-shaped flowers in June through August, add unexpected ornamental value to the vegetable patch.
Onions shine as a foundational ingredient in savory cooking, whether caramelized until deeply sweet, diced raw into salads and salsas, or pickled whole for bright, vinegary punch. They're harvested young as tender green onions for salads and garnishes, or left to mature into full bulbs for long-term storage and cooking. The mild flavor makes them approachable for both delicate preparations and robust, bold dishes.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
If sprouting seeds in a glass jar, place the desired amount of seed in the jar and cover the mouth with cheesecloth or porous material secured with a rubber band. Fill the jar halfway with lukewarm water and soak overnight. In the morning, drain off water completely. Rinse seeds with lukewarm water and let drain again, then place the jar on its side in a dark location maintaining 60-70°F (15-21°C). Rinse the seeds with lukewarm water at least twice daily, draining thoroughly each time.
Plant onion sets in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked, spacing them 6 inches apart in rows 8 inches apart. Cover with half to one inch of soil. They prefer well-drained, sandy and limey soil with any organic material well composted beforehand.
Pull green onions when they reach 8 inches tall for mild, tender harvests. For full bulb maturity, allow plants to develop longer before harvesting. Note that harvesting the tops will delay bulb crop maturity, so plan your harvest strategy accordingly. When sprouts grown in jars reach the desired length or develop their first tiny green leaves, expose them to light for a few hours to develop color, then remove hulls by rinsing or skimming them from the water surface to minimize spoilage.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Allium cepa represents one of humanity's oldest cultivated vegetables, so ancient that botanists have never identified a wild ancestor. The genus name itself comes from classical Latin, a testament to how deeply onions wove themselves into human civilization thousands of years ago. This plant has traveled alongside human migration and trade routes for millennia, becoming indispensable across virtually every food culture on Earth.”