ONION - WALLA WALLA

   Organic Onion Walla Walla

          100 Seeds Pack    

Walla Walla onions are named after the county in southeastern Washington state in which they were first cultivated within the United States. A French soldier, Peter Pieri, brought an Italian sweet onion from the French island of Corsica to the Walla Walla Valley in the late 1800s. He further developed the onion from selecting and growing specific traits until achieving the level of size, sweetness, and shape that would eventually become the Walla Walla onion.  

Walla Walla onions are medium to large in size and are globular to somewhat squat in shape with rounded ends. The bulb is encased in a papery, parchment-like skin that is yellow to light brown, flaky, and dry. Underneath the brittle exterior, the white, almost translucent flesh is firm, crunchy, and juicy with many thin layers of white rings. 

        PLANTING & GROWING

Soaking needs to be done at least a few hours before planting, and preferably overnight. To prevent damping off when starting seeds indoors, it’s essential that you disinfect all of your pots, plastic grow trays, seed cells, and seedling tray covers before you reuse them. 

Sow onion seeds under cloches in February or directly outdoors from March to April, with harvest typically occurring 24 weeks later. In colder climates or for exhibition bulbs, start sowing indoors under glass in January, harden off in March, and transplant outdoors in April.

Sow seeds thinly in 1.2 cm (½ inch) deep drills, leaving 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) between rows. Thin spring-sown seedlings first to 2.5 cm (1 inch), then once they have straightened up, space them 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) apart. Autumn-sown seedlings should be thinned to 2.5 cm (1 inch) in the fall, with further thinning to 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) in spring. Seedlings raised under glass should be transplanted 10 cm (4 inches) apart, leaving 23 cm (9 inches) between rows. Ensure the roots fall vertically into the planting hole, with the bulb base about 1 cm (½ inch) below the surface.

Onions are insect-pollinated and require a 1–3 mile isolation distance from other onion varieties to prevent cross-pollination.

Onions are excellent companion plants, as they repel pests like cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, Japanese beetles, and cabbage maggots. They also benefit brassicas such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts when planted nearby. However, avoid planting onions next to peas, beans, sage, or asparagus.

It's crucial to not plant onions in the same location for more than three consecutive years.