Onion 'Italian Long Keeper'

Allium cepa

• Long storage onion with excellent keeping qualities
• Golden skin with large white globe bulbs
• Complex flavour profile combining sweetness and pungency
• Tight necks and strong storage performance
• Selected for globe shape and single centres

Winner of “Best Flavour” in our 2021 storage onion trials, ‘Italian Long Keeper’ stood apart for its remarkable sweetness and depth of flavour. Unlike the sharper single-note pungency common in many storage onions, this variety offered a rich, balanced complexity that continued to impress long after harvest.

An intermediate to long-day onion best suited to regions receiving 13–16 hours of daylight for maximum bulb development.

We selected ‘Italian Long Keeper’ for classic globe shape, reliable long storage, tight necks, single cores, and outstanding eating quality. The flavour permeates soups, stews, fried potatoes, omelettes, and slow-cooked dishes with a noticeable sweetness that repeatedly prompted comments and questions from dinner guests.

Even after months in storage, the bulbs retained a superior flavour profile. While the sweetness gradually softened toward the end of winter, onions harvested in mid-March from a September sowing still held excellent complexity and eating quality through to December — more than nine months in storage.

A beautiful dual-purpose onion combining kitchen quality with dependable long-term storage.

Certified Demeter Biodynamic and Certified Organic

SEED COUNT: 200, 1000, 5000 approx.
Germination: Lot#14390 94% May 2026

PLEASE NOTE: We do not authorise the repackaging of our seed without written permission

Seed Raising, Growing and Harvest Information

DIRECT SOW - Plant seed 6-10mm deep, 3-5 seeds every 10cm in rows 40cm apart during July, August or early September in prepared, well-draining soil. Thin to 5 or 6cm apart using the thinning’s as scallions. Or sow in bunches for easier harvest. Days to maturity are from transplant.

TRANSPLANT (recommended) - Start transplants 8-10 weeks before planting date. Sow thickly in flats or 1” cells, in bunches for easier harvest.  We have had good results planting multi cells spaced wider in the field. 

NOTES - Large, healthy tops lead to optimum bulbs, so it is also important to give the onion plant enough time to size up prior to bulbing. Days to maturity can vary widely depending on variety and seasonal culture. Adequate time can often be achieved by varying planting dates and using transplants instead of, or in addition to, direct-seeding in short-season areas.

  - Onions compete poorly with weeds. Cultivate regularly to control weed pressure.

HARVEST - For fresh eating, onions can be harvested whenever they reach desired size. Storage onions can be harvested when 80% of the tops dry up and flop over. Pull bulbs from ground and cure in an airy, shaded place for two weeks at 22-25°F and 80% relative humidity. 

STORAGE - Cool slowly, and store at steady temperatures. Rapid cooling followed by a sudden warm period might break dormancy and cause onions to sprout. Optimal storage is at near freezing temperatures at 65-70% relative humidity.