Scottish growing tool
Onions Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden
Every recommendation below traces back to our full Onions varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.
If: Autumn, I want the set in before winter → A red onion
Marshalls Red Fen
Marshalls Red Fen is the other confirmed autumn option, worth choosing over Sturon if you specifically want a red onion. Its own listing gives autumn-only wording: "Rounded, dark red bulbs with a good flavour are planted in autumn for harvesting in June to July."
If: Autumn, I want the set in before winter → The most confirmed autumn option or Autumn, I want the set in before winter → Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice or Spring, once winter's over → Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice or Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice
SturonAGM
Sturon is the strongest overall pick: it's the only one of the six RHS Award of Garden Merit onion varieties whose own plant page confirms both an autumn set and a spring set ("Plant out sets in March-April for a late Summer harvest or in Autumn for a Summer harvest the following year").
If: Spring, once winter's over → Bigger bulbs
HerculesAGM
Hercules is a reasonable spring alternative to Sturon for a larger bulb. Its own listing says "Plant out sets in Spring," with no autumn instruction given. The growing guide describes it as having "good resistance to bolting," but Hercules's own detailed plant page lists bolting only as a susceptibility, so that resistance claim isn't treated as confirmed here.
If: Spring, once winter's over → Better vigour and storage
RumbaAGM
Rumba is a reasonable spring alternative to Sturon for its "improved vigour, shape and storage than onion 'Sturon'." Its own listing says "Plant sets out in Spring," with no autumn instruction given.
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