Seeds, Onions Sweet Ailsa Craig (West Coast Seeds)

Sow Ailsa Craig sweet onion seeds for huge, straw-yellow globes up to 20cm (8") in diameter! Firm, with mild, sweet flesh, Ailsa has fairly good short-term storage potential, certainly better than Walla Walla.

Ailsa Craig Spanish onions are fine textured, and excellent for salads and sandwiches. It is tolerant of cold weather, so it can be ready for harvest before some other Spanish storage onions. Ailsa Craig was not a person, but rather a place. It is a stony island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. While the onion is not from there, it would certainly grow there, as it is adapted for growing between the 38th and 60th parallels, and that makes it an even better onion for northern growers.

Matures in 95 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Timing
Start shallots and storage onions indoors in late winter and early spring, and transplant 2-4 weeks after the last frost date. Overwintering onions need to be started in early summer, and transplanted by the middle of August. Scallions can be direct sown every 3 weeks from two weeks after the last frost date to late summer. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 21-25°C (70-75°F). Seeds will emerge in 6-12 days, depending on conditions.

Starting
Transplants are preferred for home gardeners. Sow 3 seeds 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep in each cell of a 72-cell tray. Transplant as a clump, spacing each 15cm (6″) apart in rows 45-75cm (18-30″) apart. Scallions can be spaced at 2-5cm (1-2″) apart in rows 15cm (6″) apart.

Companion Planting
The pungent odour of onions repels many pests and also protects nearby garden vegetables. Plant chamomile and summer savory near onions to improve their flavour. Onions also work well alongside beets, Brassicas, carrots, dill, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Don’t plant onions near asparagus, or peas of any kind.