Scottish growing tool

Spring Onions Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden

Every recommendation below traces back to our full Spring Onions varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.

If: Sowing in autumn to overwinter, possibly on an exposed plot

White LisbonAGM

White Lisbon is the only RHS-named variety of the four with an explicit overwintering recommendation: it's suitable for overwintering, and at H4 it's hardier than Guardsman's H3. It's also the only one named for both summer succession sowing and a hardy autumn sowing. Bolting is a known risk though, so watch for a cold snap even on the variety chosen for overwintering, and pair it with cloche or fleece cover through the hardest weeks if you can.

If: Sowing in spring or summer, no interest in overwintering → Longest possible harvest window from one sowing, no overwintering needed

Photon

Photon has the longest single-sowing harvest window of the four, June to October, without needing repeat sowings. It carries no AGM on either the general RHS list or its own page, and its own page makes no overwintering claim, so it's best kept to a summer-to-autumn crop rather than an autumn sowing.

If: Sowing in spring or summer, no interest in overwintering → A long harvest now, but keeping winter hardiness in reserve for a future autumn attempt

IshikuraAGM

Ishikura gives an exceptionally long harvest period from summer to autumn without needing successive sowings, because its stems resist swelling into a bulb the way White Lisbon's eventually will if left too long. It's rated H5, matching Photon, but unlike Photon it carries an overwintering pedigree from the article's own comparison, so it's the better choice if you want hardiness in reserve for a future autumn sowing.

If: Sowing in spring or summer, no interest in overwintering → Can't always get out to harvest on schedule, want a wider margin before plants swell into a bulb

GuardsmanAGM

Guardsman's vigorous growth makes it slow to produce bulbs, which buys a wider forgiving window before an unharvested plant turns into an oversized bulb onion, useful if you can't always get out to the plot on schedule. That's a different trait from bolt resistance though: bolting is still a listed susceptibility risk, the same as White Lisbon, and at H3 it's the least winter-hardy of the four, so protect it well on a summer sowing or skip it for an autumn one.

If: Sowing in spring or summer, no interest in overwintering → Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice or Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice

White LisbonAGM

White Lisbon is the best all-rounder: the only RHS-named variety for both summer succession sowing and a hardy autumn sowing that overwinters for an early spring crop. Bolting is a listed risk, so a sudden cold spell is worth watching for even on the variety chosen for its overwintering reputation.

Answer these as a quick wizard instead →
Spring Onions growing guide →Full Spring Onions varieties comparison →

Try another crop

Link copied

Copy this link