Onion Seeds - Parma Yellow Globe

290 Seeds.

Other Names - Bulbing Onions, Storing Onions…

The Italian variety Parma Yellow Globe produces large, upright, globe shaped bulbs with golden - brown coloured skins. This late maturing variety is one of the best for storing over the winter months.

• Late maturing with excellent storage qualities.
• Large golden globe shaped onions.
• One of the best Italian varieties available.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, raised beds, large containers

Sowing Months - February - early April

Harvest - August - September

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• Lettuce and onions grow well together.
• Chamomile and summer savory - these two herbs if grown nearby are believed to improve the growth and flavour of alliums.
• Beetroot, Kohl rabi, strawberries and cabbages are good plants to grow close to onions as they do not compete against each another.
• The leaves of the comfrey plant can be used to make a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer ideal for feeding onion plants.

Soil Preperation

Add well rotted manure or compost a few months before sowing or planting. Remove any weeds and apply some general purpose fertilizer 1 - 2 weeks before sowing or planting. Before sowing rake the surface when dry to produce a fine tilth.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Onions grow well in clumps and will not need to be thinned. Sow 7 - 8 seeds per 4 cm module. As soon as germination starts reduce the heat and move to an area with good daylight exposure. Keep the compost moist but do not overwater. After 3 - 6 weeks plant out. Harden off over a few days before planting out. Plant out at the distance suggested above. Firm the soil around each clump and water well. Cover with horticultural fleece if frost is forecast.

Direct Sowing

Sow 1 - 2 seeds every 1cm at the depth and row distance suggested above. Lightly cover the seeds with fine soil and water well. When the seedlings are big enough to handle thin to 2 cm apart keeping the strongest seedlings removing the weak. Firm the soil again if needed. When the seedlings start to grow stronger and straighten up, thin again to 6 - 10 cm (the greater the distance the bigger the bulb can grow). Firm the soil again if needed. Remove any thinning's from the area (larger thinning's can be used as salad onions).

Growing On

Weed often especially in the early stages as the seedlings resemble blades of grass when young and can very easily be smothered by weeds. Water seedlings well in dry weather. Older plants will need to be watered every 7 - 10 days during dry weather. The plants will benefit from a mulch of compost to help prevent the surrounding soil from drying out in the summer heat.

Harvesting

When the bulb is mature in August - September the foliage will start to turn yellow and fall over. On a dry day, carefully lift the bulbs up with a fork, once lifted bend the necks back hard. If dry weather is forecast, lay the onions side by side along the surface of the soil to dry out in the sun.
However if wet weather is forecast remove all of the onions and dry indoors over 10 - 20 days (longer if the air is humid and cold and the onions are large in size). If by September the stems of the onions growing in the garden are still green and the weather is continually wet lift the onions, bunch together with string and hang to dry indoors.
Store the dry onions in net bags or boxes. For a traditional storing method try plating each onion stem onto string to form a string of onions. Store in a cool dry shed or garage until mid to late spring. Do not store damaged, bruised or bulbs showing any sign of disease.