'Dusk' Red Onion Grex

Allium cepa

Origin: Upper Midwest

Improvement status: Breeding population

Seeds per packet: ~150

Germination tested 12/25: 92%

Life cycle: Biennial

Dusk' is a red onion grex (or composite) that breeder Dr. Frank Kutka has been developing for over a decade. Still variable, it is ripe for further breeding and regional adaptation work. Frank started 'Dawn' with a few open-pollinated red onion varieties, with origins from Italy to Russia, along with a number of commercial hybrid varieties. We love Frank's creative breeding work, and very much appreciate his generosity of spirit as well, making these "unfinished" diverse varieties available for others to pick up the baton and not attempting to patent or otherwise restrict their use.

Frank is currently a professor at the College of Menominee Nation in Wisconsin, and has previously taught and researched at North Dakota State, Iowa State, Dickinson State, and Cornell. Most of his work on 'Dawn' was conducted in North Dakota and Wisconsin, so it's likely this population is particularly well-adapted to the Upper Midwest, but it's got enough diversity to be useful across the US.

GROWING TIPS: Start onions from seed in February or March and plant out once frost danger has passed. Space plants 6-8 inches apart for best results.

NOTE: Frank did not take any photos of this red onion grex, so the photo here is just a public domain image of some sliced red onion.