About
Allium cepa 'Red Winter' is a perennial bulb cultivated for its edible qualities. It features erect, bluish-green foliage. The small bulbs, characterized by their sweet and crunchy interior and red outer skins, should be planted in the fall, with a harvest time expected between June and July.
About the genus
Allium consists of bulbous herbaceous perennials characterized by a pronounced onion or garlic aroma. They feature linear, strap-like, or cylindrical leaves that arise from the base. The flowers, which can be star-shaped or bell-shaped, are arranged in an umbel atop a stem that lacks leaves.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbs - Culinary, Bulbs
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in free-draining, fertile soil in full sun. Keep well watered in dry periods but stop watering when bulbs become swollen. See how to grow: Onions for further advice
- Pruning
- Remove faded leaves and spent flowers
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed or by onion sets. See how to grow: onions or sowing vegetable seeds
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to stem and bulb eelworm, leek moth and onion fly
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to rusts