Description
Salad Onion Lilia is a reliable spring onion with glossy red bulbs with a lovely mild flavour with rich green leaves that are an attractive addition to any plate.
This variety has the added benefit of being dual purpose as can be grown as a small main crop onion too. Just leave the onions in the ground beyond the spring onion stage allowing the flavour to intensify as they mature and then harvest as your would other bulb onions.
When to Sow | March to October direct outdoors |
Where to Sow | Spring onions prefer an open, sunny site with fertile and well-drained soil, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Do not plant or sow on freshly manured bed. |
Sow seed direct, in a prepared bed or in a pot or container, 1.5cm (3/4in) deep in drills, 2.5cm (1in) apart with rows 15cm apart. Cover with a cloche or fleece to protect from frost. | |
What to do Next | No thinning should be necessary, you can pick small spring onions and use as chives from May onwards. |
Water well, especially during periods of dry weather, and keep weed free. | |
Harvest | March to October, 6-8 weeks after sowing. October sowings can be overwintered and harvested the following spring. |
Handy Tips | Sow successionally every 3 weeks to give a continuous crop all summer long. |
As spring onions have a short growing time, they can be grown in between slower growing vegetables as a catch crop or as a row marker. | |
Later spring onion sowings may remain in the ground through to December if the weather remains mild. | |
Companion Planting | Good companions: Brassicas, beetroots, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuces. |
Bad companions: Peas and Beans. | |
Nutritional Information | Antibacterial and antiseptic properties, due to beneficial sulphur compounds. A good source of antioxidants. Also high in Vitamin C, calcium and iron. |
Serving Suggestion | Both the long, slender green tops and the small white bulb are edible and are good either raw or cooked. Excellent in salads, oriental cooking or sliced with duck and pancakes. |
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