Anyone hunting for onion seeds usually runs into one problem fast: half the varieties out there won't even form a proper bulb depending on where the garden sits. KVITER offers Allium varieties built around that exact issue — a sweet long-day onion bred for northern latitudes, a short-day Texas heirloom for warmer states, a storage-ready red onion, and a bunching type that skips the bulb entirely. Every onion packet is non-GMO and open-pollinated, so seed saved this fall grows true again next spring. For anyone stocking up beyond onions, KVITER's full vegetable seeds catalog covers the rest of the garden too.
Onion Variety Comparison
Walla Walla — Each packet contains 500 seeds of this long-day onion variety, which takes 100–125 days to reach maturity. Known for its sweet flavor and mild bite, it's best suited to fresh eating and thrives in northern gardens where longer summer daylight hours help the bulbs develop fully.
Texas Early Grano — With 250 seeds per packet, this short-day variety matures in 100–110 days. It produces sweet, tender onions ideal for fresh eating, and performs especially well in southern gardens where shorter daylight hours suit its growth pattern.
Red Creole — This short-day onion comes with 350 seeds per packet and takes 110–120 days to mature. It's prized for its strong, robust flavor and excellent storage qualities, making it a great choice for gardeners who want onions that last well into the colder months.
Evergreen White Nebuka — A versatile day-neutral variety with 350 seeds per packet, maturing anywhere from 60 to 120 days depending on how it's harvested. It's perfect for growing as bunching onions or scallions, and its compact growth habit makes it well-suited to container gardening.
Short-Day vs. Long-Day vs. Day-Neutral — Why It Actually Matters
This is the single biggest mistake first-time onion growers make, and it has nothing to do with soil or watering. Onions trigger bulb formation based on how many hours of daylight they get, not temperature or calendar date.
- Long-day onions (Walla Walla) need 14-16 hours of summer daylight to bulb up properly. That means gardeners in Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, or upstate New York — anywhere north of roughly the 36th parallel — should stick to long-day types.
- Short-day onions (Texas Early Grano, Red Creole) only need 10-12 hours and actually stall out or bolt if planted too far north, since northern summers hand them more daylight than they know what to do with. Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast are classic short-day territory.
- Day-neutral or bunching types (Evergreen White Nebuka) mostly ignore the whole daylight equation since they're not bulbing in the first place. These are container vegetable seeds, as Evergreen White Nebuka grows well in containers or pots.
Why Gardeners Choose KVITER Seed
KVITER doesn't sell onion seeds to people looking for a quick grocery-store substitute — this is seed for gardeners planning a real harvest, stored through winter or eaten fresh off the vine within weeks. Every onion seed packet gets germination-tested before it's listed, and each variety here is a genuine heirloom, open-pollinated line grown without a single GMO input. Bulk onion seeds in particular make sense for market growers running more than a backyard bed, since the per-seed cost drops sharply at higher counts.
- High germination rate on every packet, verified before listing
- 100% heirloom, open-pollinated varieties — save your own seed year after year
- Non-GMO seeds, never treated with synthetic coatings
- Detailed growing notes on every product page
- Free shipping on all orders over $49
How to Plant Onion Seeds
- Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost, sown ¼ inch deep.
- Keep soil around 70°F for germination — onion seed is slow, often taking 7-14 days to sprout.
- Thin seedlings to 4 inches apart once they've got a couple true leaves.
- Transplant outdoors once soil is workable in early spring, spacing bulbing varieties 4-6 inches apart.
- Nebuka bunching onions can skip the indoor step entirely and get direct-sown outdoors in early spring or even fall for overwintering.
- Water consistently through bulb formation — inconsistent moisture is the most common cause of split or undersized bulbs.
- Harvest bulbing types once the tops yellow and fall over; cut Nebuka continuously as scallions.
Onion Planting Windows by USDA Hardiness Zone
In Zone 3–4, the recommended type is long-day onions. Start seeds indoors in late January to February, then transplant or direct sow from mid-April to early May. Expect harvest in late August through September.
In Zone 5, long-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in mid-January, then transplant or direct sow in early-to-mid April. Expect harvest in mid-August.
In Zone 6, long-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in early January, then transplant or direct sow in late March to early April. Expect harvest in late July to early August.
In Zone 7, intermediate or long-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in mid-December, then transplant or direct sow in early-to-mid March. Expect harvest in mid-July.
In Zone 8, short-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in late November, then transplant or direct sow in mid-February. Expect harvest in late June.
In Zone 9, short-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in early November, then transplant or direct sow from late January to early February. Expect harvest in late May to early June.
In Zone 10, short-day onions are recommended. Start seeds indoors in October, then transplant or direct sow from December to January. Expect harvest in April to May.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should onion seeds be planted?
Indoors, 8-10 weeks before the last frost for bulbing varieties. Bunching types like Nebuka can go straight into the ground in early spring or fall.
How long does it take to grow an onion from seed?
Bulbing onions run 100-120 days from sowing to harvest. Nebuka bunching onions can be harvested much sooner, often within 60-90 days, and repeatedly after that.
What's short-day vs. long-day onion, and how do I know which one I need?
It comes down to latitude. Long-day onions like Walla Walla need 14+ hours of summer daylight and belong in northern states. Short-day onions like Texas Early Grano or Red Creole need far less daylight and are built for southern climates.
Can heirloom onion seeds be saved and replanted?
Yes — since every KVITER onion variety is open-pollinated, seed saved from a mature bulb that's been allowed to flower will grow true the following season.
