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Red Onion Pâle de Niort - Vilmorin seeds - Allium cepa

Allium cepa Pâle de Niort
Onion, Common onion, Garden onion

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More information

'Roja de Niort' is an early-maturing and productive French heirloom variety. The tasty bulbs have coppery brown outer skin, purplish-red inner skin and white flesh. They are best harvested fresh and eaten raw. Excellent harvested as spring onions! Sow from February to April and enjoy long harvests from April to September. Vilmorin seeds.
Ease of cultivation
Beginner
Height at maturity
30 cm
Spread at maturity
20 cm
Soil moisture
Moist soil
Germination time (days)
8 days
Sowing method
Direct sowing, Sowing under cover
Sowing period February to April, August to September
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Flowering time June to September
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Harvest time April to September
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Description

'Roja de Niort' is an early-maturing and productive French heirloom variety. The tasty bulbs have coppery brown outer skin, purplish-red inner skin and white flesh. They are best harvested fresh and eaten raw. Excellent harvested as spring onions! Sow from February to April (or August to September in milder climates) and enjoy long harvests from April to September.

The onion (Allium cepa) is a popular herbaceous biennial vegetable (grown as an annual) belonging to the Fabaceae family alongside chives, garlic and leeks. It is grown for its edible bulb and occasionally for its stalks. It is thought to be native to central Asia, where it has been consumed for over 6000 years. Traces of onions have also been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. They were introduced to Western Europe much later by the Romans, then to the Americas during Christopher Columbus’s second voyage.

Bulb onions can be grouped into 3 main categories, based on the colour of their bulb:

- Yellow onions: sweet flavoured, generally the best type for storing and cooking

- White onions: fairly mild-flavoured, perfect for eating raw

- Red onions: sharp yet sweet flavour and bright colour, delicious grilled, in salads or in sandwiches

Spring onions are regular bulb onions (often white) that are harvested early, when the bulbs are still immature. If they are harvested prior to bulbing, they will often be referred to as green onions. Scallions are cultivars selected to produce a long, slender white shank rather than a bulb. Bunching onions or Japanese onions are a different species altogether (Allium fistulosum). All are fairly similar in flavour and can be substituted in recipes if need be.

Onions are an excellent source of minerals and vitamins A, B and C. They are known for their ability to reduce “bad” cholesterol and lower blood pressure. They develop a sweeter flavour and are easier to digest when cooked. To avoid eye irritation when preparing onions, peel or chop them under the tap or in a bowl of water.

Harvesting: Harvest spring onions… in the spring, when the leaves are still green. Mature bulb onions are harvested in the summer when the onions tops are completely dried out and folded over. Gently lift the bulbs, brush off any excess soil and leave them to dry in the sun for 2-3 days.

Storage: Onions will keep for several months in the right conditions. Cut off the leaves and store the onions in a dark, cool, dry and airy place. If the leaves are strong/long enough, they can be braided together to form attractive bunches and hung from the ceiling. Before storing, check for bruising as it only takes one rotten bulb to contaminate the whole crop.

Good to know: onions and carrots are excellent companion plants as onions repel carrot fly. Onions can also be successfully grown alongside beets, strawberries and lettuce. Avoid growing onions too close to members of the Fabaceae family.

Harvest

Harvest time April to September
Type of vegetable Bulb vegetable
Vegetable colour orange
Size of vegetable Medium
Interest Flavour, Productive
Flavour Sweet
Use Cooking

Plant habit

Height at maturity 30 cm
Spread at maturity 20 cm
Growth rate normal

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour medium green
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased

Botanical data

Genus

Allium

Species

cepa

Cultivar

Pâle de Niort

Family

Alliaceae

Other common names

Onion, Common onion, Garden onion

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Annual / Perennial

Biennial

Product reference27981

Planting and care

Soil preparation:

Onions will grow in most types of soil, preferably light and well-drained. Onions are very sensitive to excess nitrogen: avoid growing onions on a recently fertilized plot, after green manures or vegetables from the Fabaceae family (beans, peas, broad beans). Make sure to wait about 5 years before returning onions to the same plot.

Spring sowing: Coloured onions (yellow and red) and some early white varieties are direct sown from February to April (or in the autumn in milder climates). Lightly sow in furrows, about 2 cm deep, with 20 cm between each row. Gently cover with soil and water. Germination takes about 18 days. When the seedlings are approximately 5 cm tall (about 2 months after sowing), they need to be thinned out. Keep one plant every 10 cm on average. Harvest during the summer months.

Autumn sowing: White onions are sown in late summer (August-September) in seed trays or pots. Transplant one month later in milder climates, or in late winter elsewhere (February). Allow 20 cm between rows and 10 cm between each plant. White onions are then harvested in the spring.

Care: Hoe regularly, especially at the beginning. Avoid mulching as this can cause the bulbs to rot. Onions are sensitive to excessive humidity: watering should be kept to a minimum, mainly during sowing and transplanting.

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Seedlings

Sowing period February to April, August to September
Sowing method Direct sowing, Sowing under cover
Germination time (days) 8 days

Care

Soil moisture Wet
Disease resistance Good
Pruning No pruning necessary

Intended location

Type of use Vegetable garden
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Soil léger
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), 130

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