100% Certified Organic & Demeter Certified Bio-Dynamic Seed
Grown, harvested, dried and packed on Transition Farm
NOTE - If ordering from Western Australia, please check the POSTAGE page for further information
Onion 'Red Long of Tropea'
Onion 'Red Long of Tropea'
Allium cepa
These Italian heirloom onions are slightly elongated and thin skinned. Traditionally grown in Mediterranean Italy and France and are only harvested mid-summer for fresh use. They do not cure. It’s wonderful baked whole with a roast, described by one chef as adding an amazing “umami” quality to his braised lamb shanks. Umami means “essence of deliciousness” in Japanese, and its taste is often described as the meaty, savory deliciousness that deepens flavor.
Roasted, raw in salads and salsas, braised over fire, pickled in jam, this onions flavour shines bright enough to overcome the fact that it does not store well. We sow this in late Winter in multicells, transplanting in September for harvesting with green tops in late November.
SEED COUNT: 200, 1000 approx.
Germination: Lot#16389 96% JUL2023
PLEASE NOTE: We do not authorize the repackaging of our seed without written permission
Seed Raising, Growing and Harvest Information
| Plant Type | Site | Spacing | Height | Sowing Depth |
Days to Germination |
Days to Maturity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardy Annual |
Full Sun | 3-5 seed per cell 10cm apart in rows 40cm apart |
50cm | 6-10mm | 5-12 days @ 17-27 degrees |
90 days |
DIRECT SOW - Plant seed 6-10mm deep, 3-5 seeds every 10cm in rows 40cm apart during July, August or early September in prepared, well-draining soil. Thin to 5 or 6cm apart using the thinning’s as scallions. Or sow in bunches for easier harvest.
TRANSPLANT - Days to maturity are from direct seeding, subtract 1-2 weeks if transplanting. Start transplants 10-12 weeks before planting date. Sow thickly in flats or 1” cells, in bunches foreasier harvest. We have had good results planting multi cells spaced wider in the field.
NOTES - Onions compete poorly with weeds. Cultivate regularly to control weed pressure.
HARVEST - For fresh eating, onions can be harvested whenever they reach desired size. Storage onions can be harvested when 80% of the tops dry up and flop over. Pull bulbs from ground and cure in an airy, shaded place for two weeks at 22-25°F and 80% relative humidity.
STORAGE - Cool slowly, and store at steady temperatures. Rapid cooling followed by a sudden warm period might break dormancy and cause onions to sprout. Optimal storage is at near freezing temperatures at 65-70% relative humidity.
