Onion, one of the oldest vegetables known to humankind, are found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures. They are nowadays available in fresh, frozen, canned, pickled, powdered, chopped, and dehydrated forms.

Onion can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food including cooked foods and fresh salads and as a spicy garnish. They are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy and pungent or mild and sweet.

Onion may be grown from seed or, more commonly today, from sets started from seed the previous year. Onion sets are produced by sowing seed very thickly one year, resulting in stunted plants which produce very small bulbs. These bulbs are very easy to set out and grow into mature bulbs the following year, but they have the reputation of producing a less durable bulb than Onion grown directly from seed and thinned.

Seed-bearing Onion are day-length sensitive; their bulbs begin growing only after the number of daylight hours has surpassed some minimal quantity. Most traditional European Onion are what is referred to as "long-day" Onion, producing bulbs only after 15+ hours of daylight occur. Southern European and north African varieties are often known as "intermediate day" types, requiring only 12-13 hours of daylight to stimulate bulb formation. Finally, "short-day" Onion, which have been developed in more recent times, are planted in mild-winter areas in the fall and form bulbs in the early spring, requiring only 9-10 hours of sunlight to stimulate bulb formation.

Either planting method may be used to produce spring Onion or green Onion, which are the leaves and/or immature plants. Green onion is a name also used to refer to another species, Allium fistulosum, the Welsh onion, which is said not to produce dry bulbs.

MAJOR Varieties :

Name: Phulkara

Availability: October to March

Color: Pink

Origin: Sindh.

Name: Pishawari

Availability: April to September

Color: Red

Origin: Balochistan.

Seasonal Availability:

Round the year