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Red Torpedo Onion Seeds

Scientific name Allium cepa L.

About this variety

Long, red-purple bulbs with a slender spindle shape make Red Torpedo a distinctive fresh onion. The mild, sweet flesh is delicious sliced into salads, grilled or quickly pickled, and the narrow bulbs fit neatly into small garden beds. This Italian type is best enjoyed soon after harvest rather than held for long storage. The supplier lists this selection...

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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers  |  SKU: ON13
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At a glance

The facts most gardeners need first

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250 minimum seeds per packet
Gardener experience

Moderate

Germination difficulty

Easy to moderate

Germination time

4–10 days near 75 °F at 70–85 °F seed-zone soil temperature

  • Germination
    4–10 days near 75 °Fa seed-zone soil temperature of 70–85 °F
  • Maturity
    110-119 DaysSupplier lists about 110 days without specifying sowing versus transplanting. Intermediate-day response, climate and planting method affect timing.
  • Sun
    Full sun
  • Support and spacing
    No support needed · space 4 in · rows 12 in
  • Growth habit
    Clumping or Tufted · Biennial · 13–18 in tall
  • Best use
    Mild fresh onions for salads, grilling and quick pickling
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Triple-tested seed qualityRegular quality and germination checks support every packet.

We regularly test seed quality and germination as lots move through storage and packing. We stand behind the seed we send and want customers to contact us when a packet does not perform as reasonably expected.

1-year seed warrantyCoverage begins on the date of purchase.

When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from the date of purchase. Conditions outside our control—including extreme weather, pests, unsuitable storage, and gardener error—are excluded. Contact us when something is not right so we can review the situation and work toward a replacement, refund, or another fair resolution.

Non-GMO / BE seed policyWe do not buy or sell genetically engineered or bioengineered seed.

Every seed variety we sell is non-GMO.

USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as containing detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant DNA methods in ways not achievable through conventional breeding or found in nature.

  • Hybrid means parent lines were conventionally crossed; hybrid does not mean GMO.
  • Heirloom and open-pollinated describe how a variety is maintained and reproduced.
  • Organic certification is separate and is shown only when verified for the individual product.

Read how we define heirloom, hybrid, and GMO/BE seed · USDA BE Standard

Packed in Colerain, North CarolinaPrepared in our seed room for gardens across the country.

Seeds are packed and shipped from Colerain, North Carolina. Our packets use forestry-certified paper, and we use recyclable paper mailers where appropriate. AONSK is also a 1% for the Planet partner while continuing to reduce waste in packing and fulfillment.

Seed & Garden Calculators

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Open Seed & Garden Calculators Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather and garden conditions may vary.

Variety field guide

What to expect from Red Torpedo Onion Seeds

Long, red-purple bulbs with a slender spindle shape make Red Torpedo a distinctive fresh onion. The mild, sweet flesh is delicious sliced into salads, grilled or quickly pickled, with narrow bulbs suited to small beds.

Open the complete descriptionHide the complete descriptionVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description

Long, red-purple bulbs with a slender spindle shape make Red Torpedo a distinctive fresh onion. The mild, sweet flesh is delicious sliced into salads, grilled or quickly pickled, and the narrow bulbs fit neatly into small garden beds. This Italian type is best enjoyed soon after harvest rather than held for long storage. The supplier lists this selection as intermediate-day, so match planting time to your region.

Minimum seeds per packet: 250 seeds.

Sweet, slender bulbs for fresh summer eating.

Variety and background

Red Torpedo is an elongated Italian onion type often associated with the Tropeana Lunga name. This selection is intermediate-day. Its long, red-purple bulbs and mild flavor make it primarily a fresh-use onion.

Sow and grow

Start indoors 10-12 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. Keep moist near 75 F; emergence often takes 4-10 days. Harden off for early spring planting. Space 4 in., rows 12-18 in. apart, in fertile, drained soil. Keep watered and weed gently.

Season care

Onions need a strong leaf canopy before day length triggers bulbing. Choose planting dates suited to an intermediate-day onion in your region. Start indoors early, provide strong light, harden off and plant in fertile soil that drains well. Keep beds weeded carefully because roots are shallow. Maintain even moisture while bulbs enlarge; avoid heavy late nitrogen that delays maturity. Sweet onions are generally poorer keepers than pungent storage types.

Harvest and use

Supplier lists about 110 days; climate and planting method affect timing. Lift mature bulbs as tops fall naturally. Cure in a dry, airy place; use these sweet onions promptly. Seed saving requires overwintered bulbs flowering in year two, isolated from other bulb onions.

Saving seed

Bulb onions are biennial for seed production. Save sound, representative bulbs, overwinter them under conditions that keep them alive, and replant or retain them to flower the following season. Insects cross-pollinate flowering bulb onions, so isolate from other Allium cepa varieties. Save from several plants, gather seed heads as capsules ripen, and dry and clean the seed before storage.

Common problems

Poor bulbing can result from an unsuitable day-length type or late planting with too little leaf growth. Watch for thrips, onion maggots and leaf diseases. Rotate alliums, avoid persistent wetness and cure only sound bulbs. Use thick-necked or damaged bulbs first instead of trying to store them long term.

Frequently asked questions

Is this short-day or intermediate-day?

This selection is intermediate-day. Match planting time and latitude to that day-length requirement.

How long until harvest?

The supplier lists approximately 110 days; planting method, latitude and weather affect the actual date. Tops falling naturally are a useful maturity cue.

Is it a storage onion?

It is best used fresh or relatively soon after curing. Its mild, sweet character comes with shorter keeping quality.

Will it produce seed the first season?

Normally seed production requires surviving bulbs to flower in their second season.

Seed & Garden CalculatorsOpen the garden-fit planner, planting-window questions, or soil calculator only when useful

Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather, soil, and garden conditions may vary.

Garden-fit planning for this variety

Will Red Torpedo Onion Seeds fit your garden?

Use your space, timing, light, soil, water, and growing preferences to make a more informed choice. Start with the essentials, then open only the detail groups that matter to you.

Rules-based · no AI · optional answers

Add an optional ZIP code and planting date for a broad frost-window check.Use local forecasts and measured soil temperature for final planting decisions.
1Essential fitTiming, light, and space
2Temperature and exposureOptional microclimate detail
3Soil, drainage, and waterRoot-zone readiness
4Questions for this garden seedCrop-specific decisions
5Seed-starting fit and patienceMatch the propagation work
Recorded product profileIntermediateModerateRead why
Soil test, pH, drainage, and amendment calculator Have a laboratory soil report? Enter pH, nutrients, texture, bed size, and site observations here. Open soil tools
Recorded soil typeLoamy
Recorded pH range6.0–6.5
Water needsModerate
LightFull sun

Laboratory report interpreter

Soil readiness for Red Torpedo Onion Seeds

Allium cepa L.

Enter only the values your report provides. The result compares them with this crop’s recorded needs and keeps laboratory recommendations authoritative.

Core report valuesStart here
Advanced laboratory valuesOptional method-aware detail

Full growing record

Complete growing and seedkeeping record

Starting and plantingSeed preparation, sowing, germination, transplanting, spacing, and early establishment
Start indoors 10-12 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. Keep moist near 75 F; emergence often takes 4-10 days. Harden off for early spring planting. Space 4 in., rows 12-18 in. apart, in fertile, drained soil. Keep watered and weed gently.

Onions need a strong leaf canopy before day length triggers bulbing. Choose planting dates suited to an intermediate-day onion in your region. Start indoors early, provide strong light, harden off and plant in fertile soil that drains well. Keep beds weeded carefully because roots are shallow. Maintain even moisture while bulbs enlarge; avoid heavy late nitrogen that delays maturity. Sweet onions are generally poorer keepers than pungent storage types.
Season-long growing guideWater, fertility, support, weather response, pollination, containers, and care through maturity
Start indoors 10-12 weeks before planting, 1/4 in. deep. Keep moist near 75 F; emergence often takes 4-10 days. Harden off for early spring planting. Space 4 in., rows 12-18 in. apart, in fertile, drained soil. Keep watered and weed gently.

Onions need a strong leaf canopy before day length triggers bulbing. Choose planting dates suited to an intermediate-day onion in your region. Start indoors early, provide strong light, harden off and plant in fertile soil that drains well. Keep beds weeded carefully because roots are shallow. Maintain even moisture while bulbs enlarge; avoid heavy late nitrogen that delays maturity. Sweet onions are generally poorer keepers than pungent storage types.
Harvest, storage, and usesRecognizing maturity, harvesting cleanly, handling, storage, and crop-appropriate uses

Harvest and storage

Allow about 110 days; timing varies. Lift mature bulbs as tops fall naturally. Cure in a dry, airy place and use promptly. For seed, overwinter bulbs to flower in year two; isolate from other bulb onions.

Bulb onions are biennial for seed production. Save sound, representative bulbs, overwinter them under conditions that keep them alive, and replant or retain them to flower the following season. Insects cross-pollinate flowering bulb onions, so isolate from other Allium cepa varieties. Save from several plants, gather seed heads as capsules ripen, and dry and clean the seed before storage.

Uses and garden roles

Long, red-purple bulbs with a slender spindle shape make Red Torpedo a distinctive fresh onion. The mild, sweet flesh is delicious sliced into salads, grilled or quickly pickled, and the narrow bulbs fit neatly into small garden beds. This Italian type is best enjoyed soon after harvest rather than held for long storage. The supplier lists this selection as intermediate-day, so match planting time to your region.

Supplier lists about 110 days; climate and planting method affect timing. Lift mature bulbs as tops fall naturally. Cure in a dry, airy place; use these sweet onions promptly. Seed saving requires overwintered bulbs flowering in year two, isolated from other bulb onions.
Seed savingSelection, pollination, isolation, full maturity, cleaning, drying, labeling, and storage
Bulb onions are biennial for seed production. Save sound, representative bulbs, overwinter them under conditions that keep them alive, and replant or retain them to flower the following season. Insects cross-pollinate flowering bulb onions, so isolate from other Allium cepa varieties. Save from several plants, gather seed heads as capsules ripen, and dry and clean the seed before storage.
Pests, diseases, and troubleshootingPrevention, diagnosis, environmental disorders, common damage, and first-response checks
Poor bulbing can result from an unsuitable day-length type or late planting with too little leaf growth. Watch for thrips, onion maggots and leaf diseases. Rotate alliums, avoid persistent wetness and cure only sound bulbs. Use thick-necked or damaged bulbs first instead of trying to store them long term.
Frequently asked questionsDecision-focused answers that supplement the detailed guides above
Is this short-day or intermediate-day?
This selection is intermediate-day. Match planting time and latitude to that day-length requirement.

How long until harvest?
The supplier lists approximately 110 days; planting method, latitude and weather affect the actual date. Tops falling naturally are a useful maturity cue.

Is it a storage onion?
It is best used fresh or relatively soon after curing. Its mild, sweet character comes with shorter keeping quality.

Will it produce seed the first season?
Normally seed production requires surviving bulbs to flower in their second season.
History and provenanceBotanical identity, cultivar history, regional or cultural context, uncertainty, and source records

Scientific name: Allium cepa L.

Common name: Bulb onion

Cultivar or variety: Red Torpedo

Red Torpedo is an elongated Italian onion type often associated with the Tropeana Lunga name. This selection is intermediate-day. Its long, red-purple bulbs and mild flavor make it primarily a fresh-use onion.

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Helpful growing guides for this variety

Customer experience

Reviews for Red Torpedo Onion Seeds

Customer Reviews

Based on 3 reviews
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Heather Ressler (United States)

I love, love, love these red torpedo onions. They are sweet, not very sharp, and remind me of a shallot. I haven't dried any of them yet, as I haven't been able to resist eating them fresh-picked. The seeds had a good germination rate for me, and they grow beautifully and are healthy.

This summer (2026) is my first time growing these onions and also my first time buying seeds from Bertie County Seeds. I am so impressed with all the 12 different seeds I ordered. In the 10+ years that I've been gardening from seed and with all the different brands of seeds I've tried, I've never had such a high germination rate or such healthy and tasty plants.

Hi Heather, thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you love the Red Torpedo onions and that your germination and growing experience have been so positive. It’s always great to hear about successful gardens, and we’re happy to be a part of yours. Happy gardening!

A
Anonymous

germinated
havr grown these before, they're like shallots, mil;d nice salad onions, very pretty

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