1# YELLOW SWEET SPANISH ONION

Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion is a classic long‑day onion variety valued for its large bulbs, mild sweetness, and excellent storage quality. It’s a staple for northern gardens and a workhorse onion for cooking.

🧅 Quick Overview

• Type: Yellow bulb onion (long‑day)

• Bulb size: Large to very large

• Skin color: Golden yellow

• Flesh: White

• Flavor: Mild, lightly sweet when cured

• Use: Cooking, sautéing, soups, roasting, storage

• Days to maturity: ~100–110 days

• Pollination: Open‑pollinated

✅ Why gardeners grow Yellow Sweet Spanish

• Produces large, uniform bulbs

• Mild flavor that sweetens with cooking

• Excellent storage life when properly cured

• Reliable performance in northern latitudes

• Classic all‑purpose kitchen onion

This is one of the traditional onions grown commercially for storage and cooking.

🌱 Growing from seed

• Day length requirement: Long‑day (best north of ~36° latitude)

• Start indoors: 8–10 weeks before last frost (recommended)

• Seed depth: ¼ inch

• Transplant spacing:

  • Plants: 4–6 inches apart

  • Rows: 12–18 inches apart

• Sun: Full sun (6–8+ hours)

• Soil: Loose, fertile, well‑drained soil rich in organic matter

• Water: Regular watering; onions need consistent moisture early

Tip: Stop heavy watering once bulbs mature—this improves curing and storage.

🧅 Harvesting

• Ready when tops fall over and begin to dry

• Pull or loosen bulbs and allow to dry in a shaded, airy location

• Cure for 2–3 weeks until necks are dry and skins papery

🧊 Storage

• Store cured onions at 32–40°F with low humidity

• Properly cured bulbs can store 4–6 months

• Remove loose skins before storage

🍽️ Kitchen notes

• Excellent all‑purpose onion

• Ideal for sautéing, soups, stews, and roasting

• Not as sweet raw as short‑day or fresh onions

• Flavor mellows and sweetens when cooked