The Humble Red Onion

I love red onions!  How could you not! The vibrant color (Is it purple? Is it red?) is really quite beautiful. Red onions have the reputation of being sweeter than white onions, but that is not necessarily my experience. Some of my white onions are pretty sweet in their own right. Nothing beats raw red onions though on top of a burger, fresh salad, tacos or any other Mexican dish for that matter. I often substitute them for yellow cooking onions but find that their color becomes washed out when heated.

Five red onion varieties, always interesting to see what grows best in my garden. 

Today I planted five different red onion varieties: two were grown last year and three are new to me. They are listed below by storage longevity, the most favorable at the top:

Red Onion (Rossa di Milano, Allium cepa): Fedco Seeds, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4"-1/2" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 114. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, full sun, intermediate to long day type, shaped like a buttercup squash, flat square-shouldered top tapering to a narrower flat bottom. You may snip seedlings back by half (from 6" to 3") two or three times before transplanting outdoors. Push down tops if stubborn to fall over in the fall. Excellent for storage, although may take a while to dry, should keep until following spring.
See: http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search?item=2490&listname=Onion&cookies=no

Red Onion (Red Bull, Allium cepa): Fedco Seeds, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4"-1/2" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 118. Characteristics:
F-1 hybrid, biennial, full sun, long day type, ultra-hard large red globes, sweet and mild type, shinier and darker than Rossa di Milano, red throughout. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Very good for storage, should keep until following spring.

See: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6799-red-bull.aspx

Red Onion (Red Amposta, Allium cepa): Botanical Interests, 2015. Planted two 4"x8" containers 1/4" deep, one set of seeds from 2013 and the other from 2015. Expected germination time: 10-15 days. Days to maturity, 115. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, bienniel, full sun, intermediate day type (did fine last year in Zone 6a), large reddish-purple globe shaped (3-4"), red and white rings, sweet, likely originated in central Asia or Middle East. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Knock over the rest of the onion tops when half have already done so. Dry in sun for a few days, remove the roots and greens, leave 1" of the neck to seal.  Stores well.

See: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0202/Onion-Red-Amposta-Seeds

Red Onion  (Wethersfield, Allium cepa): Livingston Seed, 2014.  Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 4-10 days. Days to maturity, 100. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, aka Dark Red Beauty, dates back to 1852 from Wethersfield, CT, full sun, long day type, large flattened globe with purple-red skin, mildly pungent with red concentric rings. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Fair storage.
See: http://www.smartgardener.com/plants/1556-onion-wethersfield-red/overview

Red Onion (Red Tropeana Lunga, Allium cepa): MI Gardener, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 100-110. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, full sun, long to intermediate day, red torpedo bulbs, Mediterranean origin, comes from Tropea region of Italy, pungent with a balance of sweet, likes cool night temperatures. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Not good for storage.
See: http://seedsforgenerations.com/product/onion-tropeana-lunga/

I also decided to sow a few seeds appropriate to Week 12:

Leeks (American Flag, Allium ampeloprasum): Livingston Seeds, 2014. Planted pelletized seeds in one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 5-7 days. Days to maturity, 125-140. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, partial sun, sweeter and milder alternative to the onion, similar in appearance to large scallions.  Although the packet recommends 4" spacing between plants in the garden. I am more generous with the spacing at 6-8". Shanks should be 1" in diameter at time of harvest. They are cold tolerant and can be kept in the ground through light frosts.
See: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0205/Leek-American-Flag-HEIRLOOM-Seeds

Asparagus (Mary Washington, Asparagus officinalis):  MI Gardener, 2015.  Planted seeds into six 4-packs, 4 seeds per cell. Expected germination time, 28 days, generally longer. Since germination is slow, it may be advisable to soak the seeds in warm water prior to sowing, up to 2 days. Days to maturity, 780. Characteristics: perennial, fern-like growth 4-5 feet tall, member of the lily family, long, crisp and sweet spears, pick at 5-8 inches long, considered delicacy by ancient Greeks, originated near the Mediterranean Sea, full sun, space 18" apart, plant at depth of 6-10". This variety is a very strong growing and productive strain and is rust-resistant. Do not harvest first and second years; third year you may harvest for two weeks and by the fourth year, you may harvest throughout the spring growing season. At end of season, prune back foliage when it turns brown. Mature bed can last for 20-30 years.
See: http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/asparagus/asparagus-mary-washington-prod000569.html

TIPS OF THE DAY!!  Don't over peel your red onions.  Most of the goodness, the flavonoids, are found in the outer layers. Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes and assist memory function.  Not a shabby list of health benefits!

Also, don't store any bulb onion in the refrigerator but rather in a cool, well-ventilated container. I use old mesh bags and store them all winter long in my basement pantry.