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Nancy Engel
Liliaceae
Allium cepa 'Vidalia'
Garden Onion, Sweet Onion, Vidalia Onion
The garden onion is a biennial widely grown as a vegetable. Pale hollow green leaves and long flower stems that sometimes have bulbils rather than flowers arise from bulbs with papery outer coverings. Vidalia onions are yellow, sweet-flavored onions grown in the vicinity of Vidalia, Georgia.
Garden onions are categorized by the day length at which they form bulbs. Vidalia onions require short days (10 to 12 hours) to form plump bulbs. They are thus usually planted in fall or early winter, for harvest in spring and early summer in regions with cool but mild winters. They are usually sweet, but do not store well. Short-day onions do especially well in the southern United States.
Garden onions require full sun and regular watering since their roots are shallow. Grow them in loose, rich, well-drained soil. If you are growing Vidalia onions from sets, or small bulbs, plant the bulbs just below the surface, with the neck showing. When most of the leaves are in decline and yellowed, dig the bulbs and dry them in a shady well-ventilated place for several days. Break off any lingering soil clumps and then store the onion bulbs for months in a cool, dark, dry spot for later culinary use.
12 - 1
5 - 10
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
4"-12" / 10.2cm - 30.5cm
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Central Asia
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Medium
Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Summer
Showy
White, Yellow Green
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow Green
Yes
No
Single
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
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