Vidalia Sweet Onion

Allium cepa 'Vidalia'

vegetable

The famous sweet Georgia onion — one of the mildest, sweetest, and juiciest onions in the world. The Vidalia sweetness comes from the low-sulfur soils of Toombs County, Georgia, but any gardener can grow a similar sweet onion in low-sulfur soil conditions. Enormous white-fleshed bulbs with a paper-thin golden skin. The onion people eat like an apple.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Carrot — Classic companion — onion deters carrot rust fly
• Lettuce — Efficient bed use; lettuce harvested before onions need full space
• Chamomile — Said to improve onion size and flavor when planted nearby
• Tomato — Onion scent deters aphids near tomato plants

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Onion maggot →

  Row cover from planting; avoid fresh manure; rotate beds annually

• Thrips →

  Reflective silver mulch; spinosad spray if severe

• Downy mildew →

  Ensure drainage; avoid overhead watering; copper spray preventively

• Fusarium basal rot →

  Plant in well-draining soil; handle bulbs gently at harvest

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest when tops fall naturally. Vidalia-types require only 1 to 2 weeks of curing — they do not store as long as pungent storage onions due to their high water content. Refrigerate after curing for up to 1 to 2 months. Wrap individually in paper to extend storage. Excellent caramelized, in French onion soup, or eaten raw on sandwiches.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Good source of vitamin C, B6, quercetin, and potassium. Lower sulfur content than yellow pungent onions reduces the compounds that cause eye tearing and digestive discomfort for some people.