What are the sun requirements for Allium cepa 'Australian Brown'?

Allium cepa 'Australian Brown' requires Full Sun.

How much water does Allium cepa 'Australian Brown' need?

Allium cepa 'Australian Brown' has Medium water needs.

Allium cepa 'Australian Brown', Australian Brown Onion

1 / 4

Vegetables

Allium cepa 'Australian Brown'

Australian Brown Onion

Amaryllidaceae

Central Asia (Allium cepa); Australian Brown is an open-pollinated cultivar of Australian origin

At a Glance

TypeAnnual

HabitUpright

FoliageDeciduous

Height18-24 inches (45-60 cm)

Width6-8 inches (15-20 cm)

Maturity1 years

Key Features

Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Maintenancelow

Overview

Allium cepa 'Australian Brown' is a biennial bulb onion in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) grown as an annual for bulb production, reaching 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) tall with a 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) spread and an upright habit. The cultivar produces globe-shaped bulbs slightly flattened at both ends, 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) in diameter, with bronze-brown papery skins and firm white flesh. Australian Brown is a long-day storage onion that requires 14-16 hours of daylight to bulb (latitudes above 36°N). Foliage is blue-green, hollow, and tubular with a glaucous coating. The cultivar is open-pollinated, so saved seed reproduces the parent type. Flavor is pungent — a cooking onion rather than a sweet eating type. Bulbs store 8-12 months at 32-40°F (0-4°C) in dry conditions, placing the cultivar at the long end of the storage onion range. The thick bronze-brown skins and the dense firm flesh are the keys to that storage life. The cultivar is more drought-tolerant than most onions once established.

Native Range

Allium cepa is native to Central Asia (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan), where the species was domesticated over 4,000 years ago. The 'Australian Brown' cultivar is an open-pollinated selection of Australian origin.

Suggested Uses

Grown in vegetable gardens and containers of at least 3 gallons (11 L) for long-storage cooking onions. The 8-12 month storage life puts the cultivar at the long end of the storage onion range, which suits the cultivar to gardens producing a year's worth of cooking onions. Long-day type, so the cultivar is suited to latitudes above 36°N. The pungent flavor suits cooked applications rather than raw eating. Open-pollinated breeding allows seed saving for self-sufficiency growers. Drought tolerance and deer resistance are additional features.

How to Identify

Identified by globe-shaped bulbs slightly flattened at both ends with bronze-brown papery skins and firm pungent white flesh on a plant with blue-green glaucous hollow tubular foliage. The bronze-brown color (darker than the straw-yellow of most yellow onions) and the 8-12 month storage life separate Australian Brown from shorter-keeping yellow onions. Long-day type. Open-pollinated, in contrast to F1 hybrid storage onions.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 2'

Width/Spread6" - 8"

Reaches mature size in approximately 1 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Biennial: plants flower in the second year if overwintered, producing white spherical umbels on tall scapes 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) above the foliage. The cultivar is grown as an annual for bulb production, and any flower scapes appearing during the bulb season are cut at the base to direct energy into the bulb.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White spherical umbels on tall scapes 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) — second year only if overwintered; flowering is undesirable in a bulb crop

Foliage Description

Blue-green with glaucous coating, hollow tubular; yellows at maturity

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

Full Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

110-130 days from transplant

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Full sun (6+ hours daily) in well-drained soil at pH 6.0-7.0. Long-day onion — requires 14-16 hours of daylight to bulb (latitudes above 36°N), so the cultivar performs well in the Pacific Northwest and the northern United States. Seed is started indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost. The cultivar is more drought-tolerant than most onions once established. Watering is reduced as the tops yellow to encourage curing. Bulbs store 8-12 months at 32-40°F (0-4°C) in dry conditions. Open-pollinated breeding makes the cultivar suited to seed-saving programs. All Allium species contain thiosulfates that are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses; the bulb and foliage are not given to pets.

Pruning

Flower scapes appearing during the bulb season are cut at the base, since flowering reduces bulb size. Green foliage is left in place during growth and is not cut. Harvest occurs when 50-75% of tops have fallen and yellowed (110-130 days from transplant). Tops are trimmed to 1 inch (2.5 cm) and roots to 0.25 inch (6 mm) at curing. Bulbs cure for 2-4 weeks in a warm, dry, ventilated location before storage.