Shakespeare is a fall-planted onion variety bred for cold-season growing in zones 3-10, reaching maturity in roughly 90 days from planting. As Johnny's Selected Seeds' recommended substitute for the variety Forum, Shakespeare delivers reliable bulb development through autumn and into spring, making it an exceptional choice for gardeners who want to extend their onion harvest beyond the traditional summer season. Plant the sets in fall, let them establish roots before winter dormancy, and they'll emerge in spring ready to size up into full bulbs by early summer.
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Moderate
3-10
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Moderate
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Fall-planted onions like Shakespeare flip the growing calendar on its head, letting you harvest fresh bulbs in early summer rather than late fall. The compact growth habit means these sets won't sprawl across your bed, and as an open-pollinated variety, you can save seed from your best plants for next year's crop. Johnny's recommends this as a direct Forum replacement, which tells you it's been tested and trusted to perform reliably in cold climates.
Shakespeare onions are grown for full-size bulbs rather than as bunching green onions, though you can harvest them early at the bunching stage if you prefer. Once mature, the bulbs store well when properly cured, making them suitable for kitchen use through winter and into spring.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant Shakespeare onion sets in fall, as soon as possible after receiving them. Push each set into prepared soil so the tip just shows above the surface, spacing them 4-6 inches apart in rows or beds. Water gently to settle soil around the sets. They will root and establish before winter dormancy, then resume growth when spring soil warms.
For full-size onions, watch for the telltale signs of maturity: the neck softens and tops begin to fall over. Once approximately 50 percent of the tops have fallen over, stop watering and pull the onions from the ground. Lay them in the sun to cure for 2-7 days until foliage and necks are completely dry. Clip off the roots and trim the tops back to 1 inch before storing. If you prefer smaller bulbs for bunching use, you can harvest earlier once small bulbs have formed.
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