Allium cepa (Cepa Group) 'Centurion'

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onion 'Centurion'

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onion 'Centurion' RHS
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An early-cropping onion with upright, cylindrical, hollow, bluish-green leaves and globe-shaped bulbs with golden brown skin and creamy-white flesh. It crops reliably in late summer to early autumn, has crisp flesh and stores well

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H3

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Allium are bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent, linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a sunny, sheltered site in fertile, alkaline or neutral, well-drained soil. See Onions (Grow your own)

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by onion sets. See how to grow: onions or sowing vegetable seeds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to onion fly

Diseases

May be susceptible to onion downy mildew, onion white rot, onion neck rot and leek rust