Five cured Buan Onions on a wooden table
Close up of a cured Buan Onion on a wooden table
Hand holding Buan Onion over a wooden table to show side profile.
Lots of freshly harvested Buan Onions laid out on a wooden frame to cure in a greenhouse.
Five cured Buan Onions on a wooden table
Close up of a cured Buan Onion on a wooden table
Hand holding Buan Onion over a wooden table to show side profile.
Lots of freshly harvested Buan Onions laid out on a wooden frame to cure in a greenhouse.

Seeds of Scotland

Onion - Buan *NEW 2024/25*

£3.00

Allium cepa - approximately 300 seeds.

Brought back from near extinction by Irish Seed Savers who repatriated the seed from the Vavilov Gene Bank in 1997.  Originally bred in Ireland by onion enthusiast Barnie Crombie in the 1980s, this is a lovely large golden onion that grows particularly well in Irish and Scottish conditions.  Translated from Gaelic, ‘Buan’ can mean: long-lasting, durable, hardy or tough which is particularly apt as it stores extremely well, lasting throughout the winter.

Find out more about the Irish Seed Savers Association and the great work they are doing here: https://irishseedsavers.ie/

 

Growing Tips

Sow into pots or seed flats in Jan/Feb and place on a sunny window ledge, in a polytunnel or greenhouse ideally with a little heat.  Transplant to final growing position in April/May.  Alternatively direct sow in March/April and thin to desired spacing. 

TIP: If you are looking to store your onions, harvest after the tops start to drop and the bulbs start to go papery.  Keep a close eye on the weather, you may need to lift your onions slightly early and dry/cure them undercover if a lot of rain is forecast.  

Resources

For more information about growing and saving seeds check out the Grow North Growing Guide a fantastic resource produced by Transition Black Isle specifically for growers in the North of Scotland.

Postage

*Last postage date for Christmas - 20th December 2024* Orders placed after this date will be posted on the 6th of January 2025.

All seeds are posted via Royal Mails 24-hour tracked service at a flat rate of £3.00. Please note, due to legislation covering the inspection and sale of seeds, we can only post orders to Scotland, England and Wales.