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Onions (Bulbing & Scallions) — Allium cepa

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Onions (Bulbing & Scallions) — Allium cepa

layout: base.njk title: Onions description: Growing Onions in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: cool-season

Quick Reference: See detailed growing information below
Yellow onion bulbs with papery skin

Type: Biennial (grown as annual for bulbs, annual for scallions)
Family: Amaryllidaceae (Allioideae)
Sun: Full sun (6+ hours, essential for bulb formation)
Water: Moderate (1" per week, reduce as bulbs mature)
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0 (optimal 6.2-6.8)
Hardiness: Zones 3-11 (cool season annual, variety-dependent cold tolerance)

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: Bulbing onions: 0.5-2 lbs per bulb. Scallions: 1-2 oz per plant.
  • Per 10' row: Bulbing: 15-40 lbs. Scallions: 5-10 lbs (multiple harvests).
  • Per season: Bulbing onions: 20-50 lbs per 10' row. Scallions: 10-20 lbs with succession planting.

🏺 Heirloom Varieties (5-10+)

'Walla Walla Sweet'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com), Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com)
  • Days: 110 days from seed
  • Notes: Washington state heirloom. Large, globe-shaped, yellow-tan. Exceptionally sweet (low sulfur). Named for Walla Walla valley. Long-day variety. Doesn't store as long as pungent varieties. Famous for onion rings, raw eating.

'Red Wing'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 105 days
  • Notes: Long-day red onion. Globe-shaped, deep red-purple. Good storage for red variety. Mild, sweet flavor. Uniform. Excellent for fresh market and storage.

'Patterson'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 110 days
  • Notes: Long-day yellow onion. Globe-shaped, brown skin. Excellent storage (6+ months). Firm, pungent. Industry standard for storage onions. Reliable yielder. Sharp flavor mellows with cooking.

'Ailsa Craig'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 110 days
  • Notes: Scottish heirloom from 1800s. Massive bulbs (2-5 lbs!). Yellow skin, white flesh. Sweet, mild flavor. Exhibition onion. Doesn't store long. Impressive size. Traditional for showing.

'Yellow Globe Danvers'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (southernexposure.com)
  • Days: 105 days
  • Notes: Massachusetts heirloom from 1847. Flattened globe shape, yellow-brown skin. Excellent storage. Pungent, sharp flavor. Traditional New England variety. Reliable producer.

'White Lisbon'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 65 days (scallion)
  • Notes: Classic scallion/bunching onion. White stalks, green tops. Cold hardy. Sweet, mild. Can be left in ground over winter. Traditional for scallions. Self-sows readily.

'Evergreen Hardy White'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 65 days (scallion)
  • Notes: Hardy scallion. White bottoms, green tops. Extremely cold tolerant—overwinters in zone 6+. Sweet, tender. Reliable spring and fall. Standard for bunching onions.

'Copra'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds (highmowingseeds.com)
  • Days: 105 days
  • Notes: Long-day yellow hybrid, F1. Globe-shaped, brown skin. Excellent storage (8+ months). Uniform. High yield. Sweet flavor that develops with storage. Industry standard.

'Red Zeppelin'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 100 days
  • Notes: Long-day red hybrid, F1. Oval shape, deep red. Good storage for red. Sweet, mild. Uniform. Excellent for fresh market. Beautiful color.

'Bunching' (Japanese Bunching)

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 60-70 days
  • Notes: Allium fistulosum (different species). Doesn't form bulbs—harvest as scallions. Cold hardy, perennial. Sweet, mild. Traditional for Asian cuisine. Returns yearly.

🌾 Seed Saving

  • Method: Onions are biennial—require vernalization (cold period) to flower. For seed saving, select best bulbs, store over winter in cool, dry place (35-40°F), replant in spring. In zone 6b/7a, some varieties can overwinter in ground with heavy mulch.

In spring, plants send up 3-5' flower stalks with round umbels (cluster) of small, star-shaped white/pink flowers. Flowers are insect-pollinated (bees, flies, moths). Seeds mature 6-8 weeks after flowering, turning from green to black.

Onion seeds are small, angular, black. Cut umbels when most seeds black but before shattering. Hang in paper bags in dry, ventilated area 2-3 weeks.

Thresh by rubbing umbels between hands. Winnow by pouring between bowls in breeze to separate seeds from chaff. - Isolation distance: 2 miles minimum (up to 5 miles for pure seed). Onions cross-pollinate readily with other Allium cepa varieties and related alliums (A.

fistulosum can hybridize). For pure seed, grow only one onion variety or cage isolated plants with netting and hand-pollinate. - Viability: 1-2 years when stored in cool, dry, dark conditions in airtight containers. Onion seeds lose viability quickly—use fresh seed.

Short storage life. - Special notes: Save seed from minimum 5-10 plants to maintain genetic diversity. Select for bulb shape, size, color, flavor, storage ability, bolt resistance. Onions require two full seasons for seed saving.

First season grow bulbs, second season flowers and seed. In zone 6b/7a, overwintering possible with mulch but storage indoors more reliable. Onion seeds short-lived—plan to use within 1-2 years or trade/share.

For scallions (bunching onions), same process but harvest young plants before bulbing..

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead