Dakota Tears
Allium cepa
HOW TO GROW ONION
Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost, plant out 4 weeks before frost. For fall harvest, transplant 11 weeks before first frost. Short-day onions produce bulbs in 11-12 hours of light, long-day onions in 14-16 hours. The dividing line is 36˚, about the KA/OK border. Plant long-day varieties north of this line and short-day south. Direct sow thickly as soon as soil can be worked. If tops reach 5” before transplant, cut to 1-3” to increase girth. Transplant seedlings in shallow trench 2-7” apart. Hill sides slightly after 4-5 weeks. Knock the rest of the tops over when 60 percent have fallen. After 3 days, pull and sun-cure 7–10 days in field rotating every few days before twisting off tops and storing. Soil pH 6.2-7.5. Hardiness zones 3-10. Biennial.
Days from maturity calculated from the date of seeding. Average 6,500 seeds per ounce. Average 580M seeds per acre. Federal germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2–3 years. Isolation distance for seed saving: 1 mile.
Planting Depth 1/8-1/4”
Soil Temp. Germ. 55-75˚F
Days to Germ. 7-14
Plant Spacing 3-6”
Row Spacing 12-24”
Days To Maturity 112
Storage Refrigerate
Full Sun, Moist Well Drained
Days from maturity calculated from the date of seeding. Average 6,500 seeds per ounce. Average 580M seeds per acre. Federal germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2–3 years. Isolation distance for seed saving: 1 mile.
Planting Depth 1/8-1/4”
Soil Temp. Germ. 55-75˚F
Days to Germ. 7-14
Plant Spacing 3-6”
Row Spacing 12-24”
Days To Maturity 112
Storage Refrigerate
Full Sun, Moist Well Drained
- 150 Seeds$4.10
- 1500 Seeds$24.60
If you love onions, like we do, and never want to be without... Dakota Tears onion is for you!! Dakota Tears is a yellow-skinned, firm fleshed storage onion with robust onion flavor. Bred in the 1980-90s by David Podoll, Dakota Tears is open-polliniated and continuously selected for vigor, size, long-term storabi...
If you love onions, like we do, and never want to be without... Dakota Tears onion is for you!! Dakota Tears is a yellow-skinned, firm fleshed storage onion with robust onion flavor. Bred in the 1980-90s by David Podoll, Dakota Tears is open-polliniated and continuously selected for vigor, size, long-term storability, disease and insect resistance. This onion will store all through the winter until your next crop of onions is harvested... No joke! Averaging 12 oz each with medium-thick necks. Dakota Tears was honored by Organic Gardening magazine as one of ten outstanding plants in their 2010 variety trials. It has successfully rivaled hybrid varieties in university-based variety trials! In 2016 we experimented with direct seeding our onions. The direct-seeded onions out-performed our transplants, producing bigger and better onions!
This is Open Source Pledged Seed (OSSI). By purchasing this seed you are a part of the Free The Seed movement. This variety is registered as an OSSI-pledged variety and seed. “You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.” To learn more, visit: www.osseeds.org/about/.
Tags: Type: Short-Day, Color: Yellow, Size: Large, Shape: Round, Specialty: Cool Climate, Heritage: Open Source OSSI, Season: Spring Fall, Certification: Organic.
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Meet Your Farmer
We promote fair trade, organic practices and environmental responsibility throughout the Restoration Seeds supply chain. Below are the family farmers and seed suppliers who bring our open pollinated seeds to you.
Prairie Road Organic Seed
Certified Organic by Intl. Certification Services
Seed grower since 1997
The family garden and a tradition of selective seed-saving for agronomic performance under organic conditions in northern climates and superb eating qualities, provides the basis for seed production at Prairie Road Organic Seed. Certified organic since 1977, David, Dan and Theresa Podoll began producing certified organic seed in 1997.
The Podolls have released four varieties bred in the garden and selected for the family table, including Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert squash, Dakota Rose watermelon, Dakota Black popcorn, and Dakota Sport tomato. They specialize in tomato seed improvement and production of many heritage varieties. Other seed crops include sweet corn, flint corn, pumpkin, beet, carrot, leek, cucumber, grey proso millet, rye, triticale, oats, buckwheat, and poppy.
The Podolls have cultured a rich family history of cooperative involvement and the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative was a natural fit philosophically, economically and socially. Cooperation and exchange have been the basis of varietal improvement and seed development for millennia. For the Podolls, the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative builds on that heritage and wisdom of the ages.
The Podolls have released four varieties bred in the garden and selected for the family table, including Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert squash, Dakota Rose watermelon, Dakota Black popcorn, and Dakota Sport tomato. They specialize in tomato seed improvement and production of many heritage varieties. Other seed crops include sweet corn, flint corn, pumpkin, beet, carrot, leek, cucumber, grey proso millet, rye, triticale, oats, buckwheat, and poppy.
The Podolls have cultured a rich family history of cooperative involvement and the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative was a natural fit philosophically, economically and socially. Cooperation and exchange have been the basis of varietal improvement and seed development for millennia. For the Podolls, the Family Farmers Seed Cooperative builds on that heritage and wisdom of the ages.
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