There is in every cook's opinion No savoury dish without an onion: But lest your kissing should be spoiled The onion must be thoroughly boiled.
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Onions are members of the lily family and have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties, which are more important than the vitamins and minerals they contain. Today, research is showing the value of the anti-oxidants in onions as anti-cancer agents. Onions are photo-periodic-day length triggers bulbing. Our varieties are "long day" types, suitable for northern US and Canada.
Sweet Mild Onion
The huge, straw-yellow globes of Ailsa Craig onions, some over 900g (2lb), are great for shows. Alisa Craig onions are firm mild onions with a sweet flesh. A moderate storage keeper, they are fine in texture and excellent for salads and sandwiches. Space seedlings 10cm (4") apart for big onions. Matures in 120 days. (open pollinated seeds)
Mild sweet onions are usually used raw or lightly cooked.
Eat within a few months of harvesting as they are not suited to
long-term storage. Start indoors in late February or early March.
From
:
$ 3.00 CA
Ambition Shallot
Allium cepa var. aggreatum
Ambition Shallots are a traditional reddish, globe-shaped French shallot, but with a slightly higher shoulder. The delicate flavour of this shallot really comes alive when sautéed with butter! We couldn't believe their large size; peeling them was a breeze. Matures in 120 days. (hybrid seeds)
From
:
$ 3.98 CA
Copra
Storage Onion
Copra is a very reliable, medium-sized, round onion with dark-yellow skin and a narrow neck. It is the unequalled leader in hard types for long storage. Ours last well into the next summer! Matures in 104 days. (hybrid seeds)
Storage onions: "Yellow" types store well and last until late spring under good storage conditions. Onions are actually easier to grow from seeds than from sets - they don't bolt as quickly. Start indoors in March or from direct seed in April.
From
:
$ 2.99 CA
Kincho
Allium cepa
A standard green onion for summer and fall production, Kinko are Japanese-type scallions with dark-green leaves ad tall, straight, single-stalk stems that do not bulb. Increase the white stem length by planting in trenches and hilling up.
Matures in 50 days. (open pollinated seeds)
Scallions are a year-round crop. For an extra early crop, start as
transplants, sowing 5-10 seeds per container, and set the whole clump
into the garden 10cm (4") apart to produce instant bunches! From April
on, seed .5-1cm (1/4-1/2") apart in short rows. Add more rows as
needed, planting into August for fall and winter.
From
:
$ 2.98 CA
Pacific 22
Allium cepa
The flavour of Pacific 22 is mild. If it is left to mature, little bulbs start that make great pickling onionsto form. Harvest early for "spring onions". These plants have a vigorous root system and are resistant to many foliar diseases. Protect overwintering plants under a cloche. Matures in 65 days. (open pollinated seeds)
Scallions are a year-round crop. For an extra early crop, start as
transplants, sowing 5-10 seeds per container, and set the whole clump
into the garden 10cm (4") apart to produce instant bunches! From April
on, seed .5-1cm (1/4-1/2") apart in short rows. Add more rows as
needed, planting into August for fall and winter.
From
:
$ 2.69 CA
Purplette
Allium cepa
A delightful purple skinned CERTIFIED ORGANIC specialty onion! Picked small, the tiny purple bulbs turn a delicate pink when cooked or pickled. They can be pulled as purple bunching onions or left to mature at golf ball size. Matures in 65 days. (open pollinated seeds)
Scallions are a year-round crop. For an extra early crop, start as transplants, sowing 5-10 seeds per container, and set the whole clump into the garden 10cm (4") apart to produce instant bunches! From April on, seed .5-1cm (1/4-1/2") apart in short rows. Add more rows as needed, planting into August for fall and winter.
From
:
$ 2.70 CA
Red Burgermaster
These delicious onions have a large, globe shape with attractive red and white flesh and beautiful red skin. They have a crisp and wonderful texture and a mild flavour. Red Burgermaster is the best red onion for larger bulb sizes (10cm or 4"). This variety also has a relatively good storage life with a papery outer skin that does not fall off.
From
:
$ 3.59 CA
Redwing
Storage Onion
The ultimate in a red-skinned storage onion, this one stores nearly as well as Copra. Redwing produces globe-shaped bulbs 7-10cm (3-4") across, with unique deep-red, glossy skins and strong tops. Red onions are milder than yellow ones. Matures in 110 days. (hybrid seeds)
Storage onions: "Yellow" types store well and last until late spring
under good storage conditions. Onions are actually easier to grow from
seeds than from sets - they don't bolt as quickly. Start indoors in
March or from direct seed in April.
From
:
$ 3.59 CA
Super Star
Mild Sweet Onion
This white globe onion grows quickly and may reach over 500g (1lb). It has a mild, sweet flavour and thick rings. Super Star keeps well as a mild white onion, but not for long-term storage. Day neutral. AAS winner 2001. Good tolerance to pink root. Matures in 100 days. (hybrid)
Mild sweet onions are usually used raw or lightly cooked.
Eat within a few months of harvesting as they are not suited to
long-term storage. Start indoors in late February or early March.
From
:
$ 3.49 CA
Walla Walla
Overwintering Onion
Walla Walla is the classic onion of the Pacific Northwest. It is a very large, flattened onion that is mild and juicy. It can be planted in the spring or in August to overwinter. Spring-planted bulbs are not quite as mild as are fall sown ones. Matures in 65 days. (open pollinated seeds)
Overtinwintering onions are started in August and thinned to 10cm (4") apart in February when they are also side dressed with a nitrogen fertilizer. They survive where temperatures do not get lower than -23 degrees Celsius (-10 degrees Fahrenheit). Keep weeded through spring, add more nitrogen in April, and watch them fatten in May. Tops down in June, just in time for summer salads!
