15 Best Onion Varieties to Grow at Home (with Pictures)

More and more people are turning to growing their own vegetables as it’s an excellent way to save some money while consuming healthy veggies. While many grow vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, a veggie that’s becoming more popular to grow is onion.

Onions go into various dishes, and almost everyone uses them in cooking, which is why it’s beneficial to have this veggie in your garden. However, there are tons of onion varieties, so it might be hard to select a variety to grow.

We made a list of the best onion varieties to grow at home. Check out the detailed explanations about them below and choose the variety that will best suit your garden.

The 15 Best Onion Varieties to Grow at Home

1. Walla Walla Onion

Walla Walla Onions are a sweet variety known for producing giant vegetables weighing up to 2 pounds. People love this variety for its sweet and mild taste. However, this onion contains more water than other varieties, which makes it’s shelf-life short. You can grow Walla Walla in both hot and cold climates, although they prosper in northern regions. It’s best to plant them in August, although you can also plant them in spring. The only difference is spring crops take around 150 days to reach maturity, while fall crops need approximately 300 days to mature.

2. Bermuda Onion

The Bermuda Onion got its name because it was extremely popular on the Island of Bermuda in the 1600s. These sweet onions have a mild flavor, which makes them the perfect addition to sandwiches and salads. This short-day variety needs to be sown indoors for 6 to 8 weeks before being transplanted into the garden.

To promote the growth of this onion variety, you need to provide lots of water and fertilize the crops every 2 weeks.  Typically, the Bermuda Onions will be harvest-ready in approximately 90 to 120 days after sowing.

3. Spanish Onion

The Spanish Onion resembles yellow onions because of their appearance. However, they are different varieties, and Spanish Onions are milder and sweeter. Because of their taste, they represent an excellent addition to salads, omelets, and salsas. This onion is a long-day variety that adapts the best to northern climates. You can plant them in spring, setting the seeds 4 to 6 inches apart and in 1- to 2-inch-deep holes in the soil.

After 2 weeks, you should apply fertilizer frequently (every 2 to 3 weeks) and keep the soil moist to promote growth. The bulbs should reach maturity in about 110 days.

4. Pearl Onion

The Pearl Onion, also known as a baby onion or button onion, is a small variety with white skin and a mild flavor. These onions are an excellent option for people who don’t have a lot of free space in their garden. Because of their small size, typically 1 inch in diameter, these onions will only take up a small area of your garden, allowing you to plant other veggies nearby. You need to start Pearl Onions from seeds indoors, and you should maintain the temperature between 70°F and 75°F.

The seeds will sprout in about 2 weeks, and you can transplant them into the garden in early spring. If you live in warmer climates, you can transplant Pearl Onions sooner, in January or February. You’ll know that these onions are harvest-ready once their foliage driest out and falls over.

5. Tokyo Long White Onion

The Tokyo Long White Onion is a green variety known for its long bulbs and sturdy tops. This species is somewhat cold tolerant and resistant to heat, and because of that, you can plant them regardless of your climate. Depending on your location and the time you plant these onions, they typically need around 65 to 100 days to reach maturity. Another excellent thing about these onions is that they’re highly resistant to diseases and pests.

6. White Grano Onion

The White Grano Onion is a mild, sweet variety you can sow in spring or fall to get a harvest every 2 years. These onions are excellent for soups, stews, and casseroles. Before growing these onions outdoors, you need to sow them indoors until they ripen. Although they are not high maintenance, these onions need more water during their first weeks compared to other varieties. White Grano Onions need 110 days to reach maturity.

7. Redwing Onion

The Redwing Onion is a long-day red onion variety with outstanding storage qualities. These onions are known for their deep red color and their bulbs which are hard, crisp, and with thick skins. You should plant Redwing Onions in a location with full sun and well-draining soil. The sowing should happen in April or May, but if you live in short-seasoned areas, you can sow them even earlier, although they have to be indoors until they sprout. They will be ready for harvesting in around 115 days, and you can store them for over a year.

8. Italian Torpedo Onion

The Italian Torpedo Onion is a unique variety that stands out due to its elongated bulbs. These onions have a mild but sweet flavor and tender flesh. This is a long-day onion, and it needs over 14 hours of direct sun every day. You’ll know that these onions are harvest-ready once they slightly rise from the ground, typically 110 days after planting. Italian Torpedo Onions don’t have the best storage qualities, so you can only store them for about 3 months.

9. Sturon Onion

The Sturon Onion is a long-day, traditional variety that’s simple to grow. It’s a sweet onion with high yields reaching maturity in about 80 to 100 days. They require rich, well-draining soil to prosper, so you can consider growing them in raised beds if your soil is clayey or too moist. You can commonly harvest Sturon Onions in late June or early July. Once you harvest them, you can dry them out and store them for several months.

10. Candy Onion

The Candy Onion is a day-neutral, intermediate variety with thick skin, yellow flesh, and a mild taste. This variety has great storage qualities and a mild, crispy taste. These onions need at least 12 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce bulbs, and they grow the best in USDA hardiness zones 5 and 6. However, they can adapt well to other zones. You should plant them in spring, and they will reach maturity in about 200 days.

11. Southport Red Globe Onion

The Southport Red Globe Onion is a long-day variety known for its firm flesh and medium-sized, globe-like bulbs. They have deep red skin and a mild flavor making them an excellent addition to salads. This variety has some of the best storage properties compared to other red onions. You can plant them in spring, and they take around 120 days to mature. You could also plant them in fall or winter, although they’ll need more days to reach maturity, typically from 210 to 240 days.

12. Red Burgundy Onion

The Red Burgundy Onion is a short-day red onion variety that produces large bulbs with dark red skin and red-purplish flesh. This is an heirloom onion with a mild, sweet taste and good disease resistance. It’s an excellent choice for cooking and has good storage qualities. It grows the best in full sun, and you should first plant it indoors before transplanting outdoors. If you want a summer harvest, plant the Red Burgundy Onion in the fall.

13. Patterson Onion

The Patterson Onion is a long-day cultivar with a great reputation for its storage qualities—this onion has one of the longest storage times. You can typically harvest these onions 105 days after planting, and you can store them for over a year. Their taste has a slight kick, although they’re frequently used in cooking different dishes. This onion is easy to grow and maintain, making it a great choice for beginner gardeners.

14. Evergreen Long White Onion

The Evergreen Long White Onion is an heirloom cultivar with long stalks and a crispy, mild flavor. They are excellent for salads, soups, fish dishes, and pasta. These onions are cold-hardy, and they have excellent disease resistance. When planted, Evergreen Long White Onions need between 60 and 120 days to reach maturity and become harvest-ready. You can keep continuous crops by planting these onions in spring and sowing fresh onions every 2 weeks until early fall.

15. Crystal White Wax Onion

The Crystal White Wax Onion is a short-day, butchering onion variety that produces small, round bulbs. These are the best when eaten fresh, although they’re also great for pickling. Unlike most onions that need transplantation, you can plant these directly in your garden. They need full sun to thrive, and you can grow them in all USDA hardiness zones. Depending on when you’ve planted the Crystal White Was Onions, you can expect them to be harvest-ready in 60 to 90 days.

Conclusion

All the onions on our list are tasty and easy to grow, and there’s nothing better than consuming veggies grown by your own two hands. It’s all about your personal preference when it comes to taste, and you can grow either one of them or multiple onion varieties in your garden.

Featured Image Credit: Sincerely Media, Unsplash