The Spring Onion White Lisbon ( Allium cepa ) is a popular heirloom variety. It originates from Spain in the 1700’s and is a hardy and reliable home garden variety. This Spring Onion is mild tasting, so is often used raw in salads and in Asian cuisine like stir-fry’s & soups. The whole plant is edible. The easily peeled, long white stalks stay slender until they develop a bulbous end in late maturity, which are great for pickling. Harvest early for long, thin, milder tasting stems & leaves, flavour will intensify with maturity.
The Spring Onion White Lisbon is quick to mature so is great for succession planting throughout Spring, Summer and Autumn. Spring Onions don’t need a lot of space to grow, so are suitable for container/pot growing, or small gaps in the garden, where not much else will fit. Spring Onions can even be regrown in a jar of water.
Allium cepa is best stored in the fridge, where they will stay fresh for about a month. Spring onions have lots of health benefits and a wide range of uses in the kitchen.
For another variety of Spring Onion, see Spring Onion Pompeii.
Growth
Spring Onion White Lisbon is usually grown as an annual, that reaches a height of around 30cm above ground. This variety stays quite long and slender for most of its growing period, however, develops a bulbous end as it reaches its most mature stages. The bulb is small and generally only grows to around a 2cm width (¾ inch). Germination to onion harvest time averages around 60-80 days, leaves can be harvested as early as 40 days.
Spring Onions can be grown in containers / pots easily as unlike many vegetables, they don’t require much space and have a very small root system. Do not plant onions or other members of their family such as garlic, leek, chives in the same location as the season before to avoid any disease development.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Amaryllidaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Temperate although they can be grown in warmer climates the harvest is smaller.
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
10 to 35°C / 50 to 95°F
SOIL TYPE:
Soil should be loose and well-draining but kept moist. Nutrient rich soil / compost is where onions will thrive the most. Avoid using soil that has grown onions in previous seasons.
LOCATION:
Full Sun
HEIGHT:
Average of 35 cm’s (1 foot) above ground
WIDTH:
Approximately 2 cm’s (¾ inch)
pH:
6.2-6.8
GROWTH TYPE:
Annual. Can be grown as a biennial for seeding the following year.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Medium
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by Insects, Open Pollination
MATURITY:
Average 60-80 days, although leaves can be harvested from around 40 days.
GERMINATION RATES:
92%
GERMINATION TIME:
10-14 days at temperatures between 10-22°C / 35-75°F
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Easy
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 350
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
Yes
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 1 year, Cold storage at -18 to-20 (Freezer) 2-3 years.
FACTS ABOUT ALLIUM CEPA (Spring Onion White Lisbon)
Spring Onions are an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium and are also high in dietary fibre, folate and Vitamin A. They are commonly used as garnishes, in stir fry, stews and as substitutes for chives and leeks.
Spring Onions are an excellent vegetable to grow at home because they need very little space and almost the whole plant can be eaten, so there is very little wastage.
The botanical name Allium fistulosum is derived from the Latin word Allium, meaning garlic and fistulosum literally translates into hollow, which describes the plants leaves and stems.
Also known as Welsh Onion, Green Onions, Japanese Bunching Onion, Shallots or Scallions.
