Rossa di Milano
Rossa di Milano is a round to slightly flattened globe allium with fruit around 3-4 inches diameter, medium size. Ready from roughly day 100. Germination takes 7-14 days. Space 4-6 inches apart at pH 6.0-7.0. Full sun (6+ hours). It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Start from seed indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost, or direct sow in fall in warm climates.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- 1 inch per week, consistent moisture
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile loam with good organic content
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 4-6 inches
- Height
- 12-18 inches
- Season
- Cool season
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Deep red-purple skin with white flesh and purple rings
- Size
- 3-4 inches diameter, medium size
- Shape
- Round to slightly flattened globe
- Flavour
- Mild, sweet, and crisp with less bite than yellow onions
In the kitchen
Excellent fresh in salads, sandwiches, and salsas. Good for quick cooking but shorter storage life.
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Onion thrips, aphids, wireworms
- Diseases
- Fusarium basal rot, bacterial soft rot, downy mildew
- Resistance
- Moderate disease resistance
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | September |
| 2 | — | — | May – July | August – September |
| 3 | — | — | May – June | August – October |
| 4 | — | — | April – June | August – October |
| 5 | — | — | April – May | July – November |
| 6 | — | — | April – May | July – November |
| 7 | — | — | March – May | June – November |
| 8 | — | — | March – April | June – December |
| 9 | — | — | February – March | May – December |
| 10 | — | — | January – March | April – December |
| 11 | — | — | January – February | March – December |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | March – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | March – 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 Rossa di Milano?
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 Rossa di Milano suits these too.
- Candy Onion 100 days
- Red Burgundy Onion 100 days
- Copra Onion 104 days
- Comanche 105 days
- Jumper 95 days
- Italian Red Torpedo Onion 95 days