Onion
Allium cepa
Pick a variety for your latitude: long-day in the North, short-day in the South.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 1.5 ft tall, 0.3 ft wide
Harvest: July to August
From: Central Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: Central Asian steppe. Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Onions were grown in Central Asia and Egypt 5,000 years ago, buried with pharaohs and fed to pyramid builders; they travelled everywhere people did, and every cuisine starts with them in a pan. Day length decides which kind bulbs where.
Planting
Full sun, rich loose soil; plant sets or seedlings in early spring, 4 inches apart. Choose long-day types in the north, short-day in the south.
Growing
Weed carefully, since onions hate competition; water steadily until the tops begin to fall, then stop. Feed with compost early.
Harvest and use
Pull when tops fall over in late summer; cure two weeks in a dry airy place, then store cool and dry. Storage types keep till spring.
What to watch for
Onion maggot, thrips, and rot in storage if not cured.
See if Onion fits your yard
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home