Giant Musselburgh
Giant Musselburgh: 120-150 days to harvest, 10-21 days to germinate, 6-8 inches between plants, pH 6.0-7.0, hardy in zones 5-10. Fruit runs to about Up to 3 inches diameter, 12-18 inches white stem length. Give it full sun (6+ hours) and 1-2 inches per week, consistent moisture water.
Sowing
Start indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost. Transplant when pencil-thick and hill soil around stems for blanching.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- 1-2 inches per week, consistent moisture
- Soil
- Rich, deep, well-drained soil with high organic matter
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 6-8 inches
- Height
- 3-4 feet
- Season
- Cool season
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Blue-green leaves with white to pale green stems
- Size
- Up to 3 inches diameter, 12-18 inches white stem length
- Shape
- Long cylindrical stems with fan-shaped leaf tops
- Flavour
- Mild, sweet, and delicate with subtle onion flavor
In the kitchen
Excellent for soups, stews, braising, and roasting. Classic in potato leek soup and Welsh dishes.
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Leek moth, onion thrips, leaf miners
- Diseases
- White rot, rust, downy mildew
- Resistance
- Good cold tolerance and rust resistance
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | October – September |
| 2 | — | — | May – July | October – September |
| 3 | — | — | May – June | September – October |
| 4 | — | — | April – June | September – October |
| 5 | — | — | April – May | August – November |
| 6 | — | — | April – May | August – November |
| 7 | — | — | March – May | August – November |
| 8 | — | — | March – April | July – December |
| 9 | — | — | February – March | June – December |
| 10 | — | — | January – March | June – December |
| 11 | — | — | January – February | May – December |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | May – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | May – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 40
- Protein (g)
- 1.1
- Fat (g)
- 0.1
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 9.34
- Fibre (g)
- 1.7
- Sugars (g)
- 4.24
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 0
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 7.4
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.02
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 0.4
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.12
- Folate (µg)
- 19
- Calcium (mg)
- 23
- Iron (mg)
- 0.21
- Magnesium (mg)
- 10
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 29
- Potassium (mg)
- 146
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.17
- Selenium (µg)
- 0.5
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Giant Musselburgh?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other alliums with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Giant Musselburgh suits these too.
- Bandit 120 days
- Walla Walla Sweet Onion 125 days
- Purple Top Walla Walla 125 days
- Vidalia Onion 110 days
- Conservor 110 days
- Red Wing Storage Onion 110 days