Tokyo Long White Bunching Onion (Allium cepa)

Description

Grow Tokyo Long White Bunching Onions, from freshly harvested Allium cepa seeds. Tokyo Long White will produce early bunching onions that look much like leeks. The small bulbs are only about a half inch to an inch in diameter, with its green tops reaching lengths of 18 inches long. Ready for harvesting in only 65 days, Tokyo Long white is a perfect variety for both Northern and Southern gardeners.

Tokyo Long White Onions are enjoyed raw or cooked. Slice both the onions and green tops into salads or serve raw on a vegetable platter. This variety also makes a great addition to many soups, stews and stir fry as well. Ideal for both a Summer and Fall harvest.

Sowing The Seed

Onions are best started indoors, 8 to 12 weeks prior to the last frost. In some Northern regions, it may be best to even begin sowing in the month of December. Having said that, sow your black onion seeds directly to the surface of the soil. Cover with a quarter inch of topsoil. Transplant early bulbs into the garden when the weather is warm enough to work the soil.

Growing Conditions

Onions are a cool weather crop, so they thrive in the early months of Spring and the late months of Fall. Ideal temperatures should stay beneath 70F, but above 55F. You will also want to provide an area of full sunlight for the majority of the day. The soil should be friable, fertile, as well as loose and free of all rocks or gravel. You will also want to make sure that your sowing medium is well drained as well. To increase drainage, we recommend adding a light compost to areas containing hard, compact soil. Water the seeds daily so that the soil remains moist, but avoid drowning or overwatering.

Germination & Growth

Onions typically begin germinating in about 7 to 14 days after sowing. The green tops will grow to roughly 18 inches tall, producing small, half inch, white bulbs. Onions can be spaced roughly 1 inch apart from one another, in rows spaced 12 inches apart. The tops, as well as the bulbs themselves can be sliced into salads, or served fresh on a vegetable platter.

Tokyo Long White Bunching Onions can be harvested in roughly 65 days. You will know when its time to pull them up because the tops start to lose their coloring and flop over. It may be best to loosen the soil around the bulb, prior to pulling them up. Once the onions are out of the ground, let them sit in the sun for a day to dry them out.

We recommend that you choose a sunny and dry day to harvest your onions.