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Heirloom Onion Seeds

Harvest Onion Seeds

Farmers and gardeners often grow heirloom onions from sets or small bulbs, but growing onions from seed results in better-quality onions that are less prone to disease. Onions flower and form seed in the second year of growth, and bees cross-pollinate them. To preserve the purity of a certain strain for heirloom onion seed saving, make sure your different varieties don’t flower at the same time, or keep them separated by at least 100ft. This will reduce the likelihood of crossbreeding.

Dig up your best onions in the fall of the first year and store them in a cool (32-40 degrees), dry place over winter. When the ground can be worked in the spring, replant your onions 3-4 in. apart, covering the bulbs with .5in. of soil. Make a cut in the top of the heirloom onion before replanting it, to help the seed stalk emerge more quickly.

Harvest onion seeds by cutting off the seed heads, drying them for several weeks, and rubbing the seeds off with your hands. Heirloom onion seeds ripen gradually but flower heads shatter easily, so be sure to watch them closely. Onion seeds are harvested BIENNIALLY.

ARK Heirloom Seeds offers heirloom onion seed kits to get you started growing your own tasty onions. Try these varieties to liven up your favorite meals:

Yellow Sweet Spanish

A large-yielding heirloom onion variety that produces large sweet onions – sometimes weighing in excess of a pound each! This delicious onion stores well, and produces a mild and pleasing taste that works perfectly in a wide array of dishes.

Maturity: 110 days

Red Grano

With its crisp and mild flavor, the Red Grano onion is a great for cooking, is a perfect hamburger topping, and is delicious in salads. Let the medium sized, Vidalia-style Red Grano tantalize your taste buds! 
Maturity: 110-115 days

Click here to read more about other types of heirloom onion seeds and other heirloom vegetable seeds available from ARK Heirloom Seeds; then, choose the kit to add to your cart today!