VegetableOnion
Red Torpedo Onion
This elongated heirloom from a small Mediterranean town in Italy brings old-world charm to modern gardens with its distinctive spindle shape and vibrant red-purple skin. Red Torpedo onions mature in 110-119 days and reach 14-24 inches tall, making them perfect for maximizing harvests in compact spaces where traditional round onions might struggle. Hardy from zones 2-9, these intermediate-day beauties develop mild, sweet flesh that's best enjoyed fresh since their sweetness makes them poor keepers.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Moderately Rich
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
Spacing
3
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
2-9
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
The torpedo's elongated form allows gardeners to pack more onions into smaller spaces compared to traditional round varieties, making every square inch count. These Mediterranean natives show remarkable adaptability and frost tolerance, thriving in cool weather conditions that might stress other onion varieties. Their mild, sweet flesh offers a gentler onion experience perfect for fresh preparations, though their poor storage life means they're meant to be savored soon after harvest.
Common Uses
Red Torpedo onions excel in fresh preparations where their mild, sweet character can shine without the harsh bite of storage onions. Their attractive red-purple skin and unique elongated shape make them stunning in raw applications, while their gentle flavor works beautifully in dishes where onion presence is desired without overpowering other ingredients.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Sow up to 10-12 seeds in a 4-6 inch pot. If tops reach over 5 inches before transplant time, cut back to 3 inches to prevent shock.
Transplant Outdoors
When planting out, carefully separate seedlings and place in a shallow trench. Fill the trench around seedlings and water in well. Thin to the strongest plant when seedlings reach 4-5 inches tall.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds and thin to strongest plants when they reach 4-5 inches in height.
Harvesting
As bulbs approach maturity around 110-119 days, withhold water to allow protective paper skin to form. When about half the tops have fallen naturally, push over the remainder and wait about one week before harvesting. Cure in a warm location at 75-80°F in shade with good ventilation until outer skin and necks are completely dry, typically 2-4 weeks, then trim tops leaving one inch above the bulb.
Pruning
If transplant tops reach over 5 inches before planting out, cut back to 3 inches to reduce transplant shock and encourage strong root development.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Allium cepa
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Native Status
L48 (I)
History & Origin
“Red Torpedo onions trace their roots to a small Mediterranean town in Italy, where they developed their characteristic spindle shape and sweet disposition over generations of careful selection. This heirloom variety represents the careful work of Italian gardeners who valued both space efficiency and flavor, creating an onion that could thrive in small garden plots while delivering exceptional taste.”