Red Burgundy Onion — The Sweet, Mild Red Onion for Southern Gardens

Red Burgundy is the classic Southern red onion — deep burgundy skin over rings of red and white flesh, with a flavour mild and faintly sweet enough to slice raw onto a burger or into a salad without overpowering everything around it. It’s a short-day variety, which is the single most important thing to know before planting: it’s bred for the long, mild growing season and short winter days of the Southern US, and it rewards growers there with large, handsome bulbs. Grown in the right place, it’s one of the most attractive and useful onions in the garden.

🌍 Where It Grows Best

🇺🇸 US: Best in zones 7–11 across the Gulf Coast, Texas, the Southeast, the Low Desert, and Southern California. Sow in fall, grow through the mild winter, and harvest in late spring.
🇨🇦 Canada & the northern US: As a short-day onion, Red Burgundy bulbs when days reach only 10–12 hours — which happens in early spring up north while the plants are still tiny, producing marble-sized bulbs. Northern gardeners should grow it as a scallion or green onion rather than for bulbs, and choose a long-day red for full-sized red bulbs.
Best for: Fresh eating, salads, burgers, salsa, grilling, and pickling, where its mild flavour and striking colour shine.

The short-day trait is what defines this onion. Day length, not temperature, is what tells an onion to stop making leaves and start forming a bulb, and short-day types like Red Burgundy trigger at just 10–12 hours of daylight. In the South that timing is perfect: fall-sown plants build a big frame of leaves through the mild winter, then bulb up as the days lengthen in late winter and early spring, sizing up before summer heat arrives. For the full picture of how day length, timing, and climate fit together, our complete guide to growing onions from seed walks through every step from sowing to curing.

Start seeds about 8–10 weeks before transplanting — in the Deep South that means sowing in trays in early-to-mid fall. Sow ¼ inch deep at 15–21°C (60–70°F), trim seedling tops to 5 cm to build stocky stems, and transplant out 10 cm (4 in) apart into loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Feed with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer through the leaf-building phase, then ease off once bulbs begin to swell. Keep moisture even and weeds down — onions are shallow-rooted and compete poorly. Harvest when the tops yellow and fall, cure two to three weeks until the necks are papery, and use within a month or two, as Red Burgundy is a fresh-eating onion rather than a long keeper.

Pair onions with the right neighbours and they protect each other — see our vegetable companion planting chart for the full layout. For a long-day red that bulbs in the North, or a sweet Southern yellow, browse the rest of the onion seed collection.

❓ Red Burgundy Onion FAQ

Is Red Burgundy a short-day or long-day onion?

Short-day. It begins forming bulbs when days reach just 10–12 hours, which makes it ideal for the Southern US and wrong for northern gardens, where it would bulb prematurely while still small.

Can I grow Red Burgundy onions in Canada or the northern US?

Not for full-sized bulbs — short-day onions bulb too early in the north and stay tiny. You can grow Red Burgundy as scallions or green onions anywhere, harvesting young before bulbing. For red bulbs up north, choose a long-day red variety instead. Our onion growing guide explains the day-length rule in detail.

When do I plant Red Burgundy onion seeds in the South?

Sow in trays in early-to-mid fall, 8–10 weeks before transplanting, then set plants out to grow through the mild winter. Bulbs size up as days lengthen in late winter and early spring, ready to harvest before summer heat.

How big do Red Burgundy onions get?

Grown in their proper Southern range, Red Burgundy produces medium-to-large globe bulbs, typically 7–10 cm (3–4 in) across, with deep burgundy skin and red-rimmed white rings inside.

Are Red Burgundy onions sweet or pungent?

Mild and mildly sweet — far gentler than a pungent yellow storage onion, which is exactly what makes Red Burgundy a favourite for raw use in salads, sandwiches, and salsa.

How long do Red Burgundy onions store?

Only one to two months. Like most sweet, high-moisture onions, Red Burgundy is built for fresh eating rather than long winter storage. Use them through spring and early summer while they’re at their best.

How do I start Red Burgundy from seed?

Sow ¼ inch deep in trays at 15–21°C (60–70°F), 8–10 weeks before transplanting. Trim seedling tops to 5 cm to build stocky stems, then transplant 10 cm (4 in) apart into loose, fertile soil. Full step-by-step timing is in our guide to growing onions from seed.

What’s the difference between red and yellow onions?

Red onions like Red Burgundy are usually milder and sweeter, prized for raw use and colour, and contain anthocyanin antioxidants that give them their purple-red pigment. Yellow onions are typically more pungent, store longer, and are the all-purpose cooking onion.

Why are my short-day onions tiny?

Almost always because they were grown too far north. A short-day onion bulbs at 10–12 hours of daylight, which arrives in early spring up north while the plant is still small — so it forms a tiny bulb and stops. Match the onion type to your latitude to fix it.

How do I cure Red Burgundy onions?

After the tops fall and you lift the bulbs, spread them in a single layer somewhere warm, dry, and airy but out of direct sun for two to three weeks, until the necks are completely papery. Then trim and store in mesh in a cool, dry spot — but plan to use them within a couple of months.

Can I grow Red Burgundy as green onions in the north?

Yes. Since you harvest green onions young, before any bulb forms, day length doesn’t matter — northern gardeners can sow Red Burgundy thickly and cut the tender red-tinged stalks as scallions throughout the season.

Are red onions healthier than other onions?

Red onions carry the same quercetin, vitamin C, and prebiotic fibre as other onions, plus anthocyanins — the antioxidant pigments responsible for their colour — which yellow and white onions lack. Eaten raw, they retain the most of these compounds.

What pests affect Red Burgundy onions?

The usual onion pests: onion maggots (prevented by row cover at transplant), thrips (rinsed off with water or treated with insecticidal soap), and fungal rots (avoided with good drainage and crop rotation). See our organic pest control guide for options.

Are onions toxic to pets?

Yes — all onions and other alliums are toxic to dogs and cats, raw or cooked, and damage their red blood cells. Keep bulbs, trimmings, and scraps away from pets, and contact a vet immediately if one eats any.

Can I save seed from Red Burgundy onions?

Yes — Red Burgundy is open-pollinated, so saved seed comes true as long as no other onion variety flowers nearby (they cross readily via insects). Onions are biennial, flowering and setting seed in their second year. Our seed-saving guide covers the details.

What grows well with onions?

Carrots are the classic partner — each repels the other’s main pest — and beets, lettuce, and brassicas pair well too. Keep onions away from beans and peas. The full companion planting chart maps it out.

Why do red onions make you cry less?

Milder onions like Red Burgundy contain fewer of the sulfur compounds that vaporize and irritate your eyes when cut. A sharp knife, a chilled onion, and good airflow reduce the tearing further.

What are the best uses for Red Burgundy in the kitchen?

Its mild flavour and bold colour make it ideal raw — sliced thin on burgers and sandwiches, diced into salsa and guacamole, or rings in a green salad. It also grills beautifully and makes vivid, crunchy quick pickles.

The Mild Red Onion for Southern Gardens

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