Red Wethersfield

Family: Amaryllidaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Red Wethersfield to a garden.

Sink your senses into Red Wethersfield’s rich, wine-red skins that glow with a burnished, papery sheen as the bulbs mature.

Underneath, the crisp flesh turns from rosy to bright white, offering a pungent, hot bite that lingers—ideal for bold flavor building in roasts, sautés, and hearty sauces, or for pickling where its color stays vivid and striking.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 120 DaysHabit: Bulbing

Botanical illustration of Red Wethersfield

Location not set yet

Enter your ZIP for local crop dates

Red Wethersfield Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 3a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 3b	Mar 24th	Jun 30th	Oct 28th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 20th	Jun 26th	Oct 24th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 18th	Jun 24th	Oct 22nd – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 13th	Jun 19th	Oct 17th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 9th	Jun 15th	Oct 13th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 6th	Jun 12th	Oct 10th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Feb 28th	Jun 6th	Oct 4th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Feb 23rd	Jun 1st	Sep 29th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 13th	May 22nd	Sep 19th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 4th	May 13th	Sep 10th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Jan 26th	May 4th	Sep 1st – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 9th	Apr 17th	Aug 15th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 15th	Mar 23rd	Jul 21st – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 29th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	120
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Bulbing
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	45
Min Night Temp (°F)	28
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Red Wethersfield brings a sharper, hotter bite than many mild reds, so it cuts through richness without disappearing. Cook it long enough to go tender and sweet at the edges—or pickle it hot to lock in color and keep that clean, snappy snap.

Best Uses

caramelized or quickly sautéed base for chili, beans, and braises
roasted onion wedges that get jammy at the edges
hot-style pickling for vivid red color and snap
French onion–style cooking where you want bite before it turns sweet

Flavor Profile

assertive, pungent onion heat juicy crunch when raw sweet-tender when cooked down wine-red, slightly earthy edge

Kitchen Pairings

balsamic vinegar smoked paprika thyme garlic beef or lamb blue cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most commonly affects Allium cepa (red onion) and how can I manage it?

Onions (Allium cepa) are commonly hit by onion maggots and botrytis/neck rot (often shows as a soft, brown neck near harvest). Use row cover early to prevent egg-laying by onion flies, and avoid keeping wet foliage by watering at the soil line; remove and destroy any plants with collapsing necks or watery soft spots. If you see early signs of maggot damage (wilted plants with tunneling near the base), pull and dispose of affected plants immediately to reduce spread.

How often should I water Allium cepa during active bulb growth, and what soil moisture level should I aim for?

During the main bulb-forming phase, keep the top 2–3 inches of soil consistently moist but not soggy—typically about 1 inch of water per week depending on heat and soil drainage. Water deeply when the surface starts to dry, then let excess water drain so the bulbs don’t rot. As the plants begin to mature (tops start to fall), reduce watering to help skins dry and bulbs cure.

How do I tell when red onions (Allium cepa) are ready to harvest?

Harvest when most tops have browned and fallen over and the necks feel tight rather than soft. Bulbs should have fully colored, papery outer skins, and the skins should resist rubbing off when gently brushed. For best keeping quality, lift onions on a dry day and cure them in a warm, airy spot for about 2–3 weeks with dry foliage still attached.