Onion Plant 'Shirleys' Giant Exhibition'

Our own carefully re-selected staring of onion that virtually guarantees a bumper crop of huge onions. We grow these very year here on the nursery - and every year get much admiration from our visitors for their size and uniformity.

The reality is these are not hard to grow - and large onions around 6lbs. (2.7 Kg) are not at all unusual, so great for those onion competitions (especially if fed with our Instant Life plant food!

But more important than size is the flavour - and in our opinion these really do have one of the best flavours and piquancy's around. Probably not quite mild enough for most to eat raw they cook exceptionally well, and caramelise beautifully.

What's also surprising (for such a large onion) is that they store exceptionally well - usually well into February and beyond.

Recommended by the RHS to be an excellent attractant and nectar source for bees and other beneficial insects if allowed to 'go over' and flower (so if you have room leave any plants in that have gone too far rather than pulling them out straight away).

• Set out late March onwards (the later planting out is left the smaller the resulting onions will be, though worthwhile crops can still be produced from plantings as late as early July).
• Set out 9" (23 cm) or further apart in rows 15" (38 cm) apart.