The varieties at a glance

General

The onion (Allium cepa) belongs to the genus leek and is also available as a spring onion, vegetable onion or shallot. The types of onions differ in their degree of spiciness, color and size. The shallots are finer and sweeter in taste than the kitchen onions. They are mainly suitable for seasoning dishes. The vegetable onions are very mildly hot, juicy and ideally suited to be eaten raw. The kitchen onion has a strong taste and is suitable for frying and cooking.

Well-known varieties

• Stuttgart giant, yellow, large, well storable as well as for Rearing onion sets suitable
• Red Braunschweiger, not only the skin but also the pulp, turns reddish when ripe, with a sharper taste than brown-skinned varieties
• Red Karmen, dark red, bulletproof, medium early harvest, good storability
• Golden Gourmet, compact, digestible, mild in taste, resistant to fungal diseases
• Ailsa Craig, very large vegetable onion, slightly conical, yellow, record breaking
• Winter hedge, white, small, absolutely hardy, is grown mainly for its aromatic foliage
• Zittau yellow, firm tuber, fine-skinned, best shelf life, strong in taste

Make the right choice

In specialist shops you can get every imaginable type of onion, either as seeds or as onion sets, for relatively little money. With this variety, it can sometimes be difficult to find the right strain for your garden. Basically, you should depend on whether you prefer more or less onion flavor.

It is also important to consider how much time can be invested in rearing. Pulling the onions off Seeds simply requires more effort than setting the onion sets. In any case, when buying the planting material, preference should be given to the resistant, high-yielding and storable varieties.

Tips & Tricks

The giant onion Ailsa Craig should be used earlier sowing can weigh up to 4 kg. Reason enough for an avid gardener to try a record of their own.