How to Grow Bedfordshire Champion Onion

Bedfordshire Champion Onion

Allium cepa

vegetable

Bedfordshire Champion is a heritage English onion variety known for producing large, golden-brown bulbs with excellent storage capability. This long-day onion variety matures mid-season and is prized for its mild flavor and impressive size, often reaching 4-5 inches in diameter. It's a reliable, heirloom cultivar that has been grown since the 1880s.

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Example Bedfordshire Champion Onion timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

Plant Bedfordshire Champion Onion
Around Apr 17

Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
Tend & protect
Late spring–summer

Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
Harvest Bedfordshire Champion Onion
Around Jul 26

≈ 100 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Bedfordshire Champion Onion dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

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Sun: Full sun, 8+ hours daily (critical for bulb development)

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Water: Moderate and consistent moisture during growth; reduce watering once bulbs begin to form. Aim for 1 inch per week. Stop watering 2-3 weeks before harvest to promote curing.

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Spacing: 4-6 inches between plants, 12-18 inches between rows inches

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Days to maturity: 100-120 days from transplant

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Planting depth: Plant sets 1 inch deep (pointed end up), or start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost and transplant seedlings at soil level

Soil

Type: Well-draining, fertile loamy soil

pH: 6.0-7.0

Amendments:

compost well-rotted manure balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) sulfur if pH too high

Growing Zones

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Thrives in zones 4-9, with best performance in cooler to moderate climates (zones 5-8)

3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b

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Growth Stages

Seedling (from seed)

3-4 weeks

Thin, grass-like green shoots emerge from soil. First true leaves appear within 10-14 days.

Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Provide bright light indoors or dappled outdoor light. Thin seedlings to 1-2 inches apart if direct seeding.

Vegetative Growth

4-6 weeks

Develops 4-6 long, cylindrical green leaves. Plant height reaches 8-12 inches. Root system deepens.

Water moderately and consistently. Apply balanced fertilizer every 3 weeks or use slow-release fertilizer at planting. Remove any flowering stems that appear early. Ensure full sun exposure.

Bulb Initiation & Swelling

3-4 weeks

Base of plant thickens and bulges as the photoperiod triggers bulbing. Outer layers of bulb begin forming the papery skin. Leaf growth slows.

Long-day length (14+ hours of daylight) triggers bulbing in this variety. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer; switch to balanced or phosphorus-rich formula to promote bulb formation. Begin tapering water slightly.

Bulb Maturation & Curing

2-3 weeks

Bulb reaches full size (4-5 inches diameter). Leaf tops begin to yellow and fall over. Outer skin deepens to golden-brown color.

Stop watering 2-3 weeks before harvest to harden off bulbs and promote skin development. As leaves yellow and topple, this signals maturity. Do not break over leaves artificially; let them fall naturally.

Harvest & Storage Preparation

Harvest readiness at 100-120 days; curing takes 3-4 weeks

75-80% of foliage has died back and turned brown. Bulbs are firm, large, and have developed full papery covering. Roots have dried and shriveled.

Harvest when necks are completely dry and outer skin is papery. Cure in warm (70-75°F), well-ventilated area for 3-4 weeks before storing. Store in cool (50-60°F), dry location with good air circulation for excellent long-term storage (6-8 months).

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

carrot lettuce spinach beet chamomile dill parsley strawberry

Avoid planting near:

bean pea sage fennel cabbage

Common Pests

Use row covers over young plants. Remove and destroy affected bulbs. Practice crop rotation. Apply diatomaceous earth around base of plants.
Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Remove heavily infested plants. Encourage natural predators like ladybugs.
Practice 4-year crop rotation. Remove and destroy infected plants immediately. Improve drainage. Do not compost diseased material.
Ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Apply copper fungicide if needed. Remove lower infected leaves.

Uses

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Storage & General Cooking

Culinary

Bedfordshire Champion's mild flavor and large size make it ideal for roasting, caramelizing, and stews. Its excellent storage capability ensures availability year-round for cooking applications. [source]

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Slicing & Fresh Use

Culinary

The mild, sweet flavor is pleasant raw in salads or lightly cooked. The large bulb size yields generous slices for sandwich toppings and grain bowls. [source]

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Immune & Anti-inflammatory Support

Medicinal

Onions contain quercetin and other polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional herbalism uses onions to support respiratory health and immune function. [source]

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Preservation & Pickling

Household

The firm, dense flesh of Bedfordshire Champion holds up well to pickling and preserving. Can be pickled whole (smaller bulbs) or sliced for extended pantry storage. [source]

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Pollinator Support

Wildlife

If allowed to bolt and flower (second year), the umbel flowers attract bees and beneficial insects. Heritage variety supports garden biodiversity. [source]

This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.

Harvest Tips

Harvest when 75-80% of foliage has fallen over and dried brown, typically mid to late August in northern regions. Gently pull bulbs from the soil and allow them to cure in a warm, well-ventilated, shaded location for 3-4 weeks before storing. The papery outer skin should feel completely dry and crackly. Handle carefully to avoid bruising. Store in cool, dry conditions (50-60°F) in mesh bags or braids for 6-8 months of storage life.

Fun Facts

🌱 Bedfordshire Champion is one of the oldest recorded English onion varieties, documented in cultivation since the 1880s and featured in Victorian seed catalogs.
🌱 This variety's 'long-day' characteristic means it requires 14+ hours of daylight to trigger bulbing, making it best suited to northern latitudes; southern gardeners may find bulbs fail to size properly.
🌱 A single Bedfordshire Champion bulb can weigh 8-12 ounces when fully mature, and some prize specimens grown by heirloom enthusiasts have exceeded 1 pound in weight.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Cultivar Full Sun Heirloom pH True Leaves

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