Allium ampeloprasum var. sectivum
Pearl onion
Common names: Silver onion, Pearl onionette
Photo: Roger Culos · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Pearl onions are small, white miniature onions that are often pickled as silver onions. They are intentionally kept tiny and round by sowing densely in a lean, sandy soil. When harvested fresh they are used in vinegar, skewers or spicy antipasti.
Care instructions
Sow densely from March in a lean, sandy soil, tight spacing and low nutrients keep the onions small. Water sparingly and avoid fertilizing. Harvest in midsummer when the foliage falls; allow the onions to dry in a well‑ventilated place before pickling or storage.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, loamy, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Medium feeder
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Umbellifers and alliums confuse each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
For example celery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery) and 18 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
rose family (Rosaceae)
You can plant garlic and chives under strawberries and roses; their scent repels aphids and other pests.
For example StrawberryAppleRaspberryClimbing rosePearAronia and 53 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed Culture Practice
Rather not
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example Pole beanBroad beanMarker peaSugar peaRed beanLima bean and 29 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Onions slow down the growth of nightshade family plants next to potatoes and tomatoes; the classic crop-rotation rule also applies in the bed side by side.
For example TomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberryChili and 8 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
Diseases & pests
1 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Delia antiqua
The onion fly (Delia antiqua) lays its eggs on the leaf sheaths of young onion plants, and the larvae then tunnel into the bulb, the neck and the roots.
More on Onion flyNotes from real gardens
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