Surface sow seeds on fresh seed starting mix three to four weeks
before transplanting into the garden. Time your sowing so
that you can get the seedlings planted early (a few weeks before
your last spring frost) as leeks require a very long season.
Seedlings are transplanted into trenches and require that you
continue to mulch or hill soil up around the plants as they grow.
You can begin to harvest as soon as they are ready in the early
fall and into the winter. However, you should complete
harvesting before hard freezes occur.
(Approximately 300
to 400 seeds
per gram)
Broad London (American
Flag)
130 days — The stalks are sturdy, long, thick, and broad
with pearly-white bulbs. Since it will not survive
hard winters, this variety as a popular main season variety.
Click Here for
Vilmorin-Andrieux Seed Company's 19th Century
description.
Carentan
100 days — Carentan is an old European variety that is
hardy and suitable for fall and winter use. They are very
productive with nice white stems and bases.
Vilmorin-Andrieux Seed Company stated that
this variety was likely a selection of the variety called, 'Large
Rouen' leek. Click
Here for the 19th Century description.
Musselburgh (Giant Musselburgh
or Scotch Flag)
150 days — Very
large and hardy, tender white, mild flavored stalks, with
fan-shaped leaves that are dark green in color. Winters
well.
Click here
for
Vilmorin-Andrieux Seed Company's 19th Century
description and
click here
for
Fearing Burr's description.
Evergreen Long White
Bunching
120 days — This bunching variety has long, silvery white stalks does not form bulbs under
most conditions.
Red Burgundy (Bermuda)
95 days — Smooth, glossy skin that is purplish-red in color.
The flesh is white with pink shading near the skin. Good keeper.
Short Day Variety
Ringmaster
120 days — An improved White Utah strain that has large
globes, with single centers and firm, mild flesh. Stores
well and is excellent for onion rings. Long Day Variety
Texas
Early Grano 502 PRR
180 days — A "Vidalia-type" onion with excellent
eating quality. The globes are uniform in shape, a nice
straw colored skin and have white flesh. They are good
flavored with a mild to medium pungent taste. They
reportedly show a strong tolerance to pink root rot (PRR).
This variety was released by the Texas Agricultural Experimental
Station in 1944. Intermediate Day Variety
Tokyo
Long White Bunching
95 days — Excellent yields and a good
selection as a fresh market bunching variety of onion. The
white stalks are upright, uniform and are slightly pungent in
taste. They reportedly show a strong tolerance to pink root
rot (PRR) and smut. A good summer and fall variety but will
not over winter well.
White
Lisbon
110 days — The smooth stalks have a very
mild flavor. One of the most popular bunching varieties. Will not form bulbs in most areas.
White
Sweet Spanish
95 days — Large globe shaped, white and
firm with medium pungency. Fair keeper. Intermediate Day Variety
Yellow Sweet Spanish
(Utah Strain)
115 days — Extra large (up to six inch) globe shaped onion.
The skin is a straw color and the flesh is white. It has a popular
mild and sweet flavor. Long Day Variety
Yellow Valencia, Burrell's
115 days — Valencia onions are a Sweet Spanish-type named after the Valencia region of Spain.
The Burrell strain is a large, deeply bronze skinned onion used for fall harvest and moderate storage. The foliage is resistant to thrip damage.
Your
geographical location will need to be considered as you select your
onion seeds. There are three main types of onions — "short-day," "intermediate-day," and
"long-day" varieties. Onions require specific balance of
daylight to darkness to perform properly.
The genetic makeup of the particular onion variety is what signals
the plant to stop vegetative growth and to start forming the bulb.
As the onion matures, the tops will eventually fall and touch the
ground, at which point the onion is ready for harvest.
Short-day
varieties are recommended for the southern U.S. where the temperatures
are typically warmer year round. They will make bulbs earlier in
the year with only ten to twelve hours of daylight. If grown in the
north, they will tend to shut down their vegetative growing and bulb
resulting in small, pearl onions.
Intermediate-day
onions typically need twelve to fourteen hours of daylight to trigger the bulbing
process. They are suited for most areas.
Long-day
varieties are best suited for the northern states as they need fourteen to
sixteen
hours of daylight to bulb. In the south, they will grow nice green
tops but not bulbs - like bunching onions. Long-day onions are generally more pungent and
store better.
Growing Instructions: Plant
seeds early in flats, a couple of months before you intend to plant in the
garden. The tops will get spindly so use scissors
and prune back to two to three inches tall. You may need to do
this a few times before transplanting time.
Don't throw
the clippings away. They make a great topping for a baked potato,
a flavoring for a soup recipe or as a garnish on a tossed green salad.
When the
soil can be worked, transplant the seedlings with a spacing of two to four inches apart. It is
very important to keep them weeded. The early growth of the
allium
plants is very important.
Security
