Botanic Details

Onions, shallots and garlic are all members of the Allium family, which has more than 300 varieties. Botanists could not agree for a long time whether the allium family was part of the larger families of lilies (Liliaceae) or amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae), but it is now generally included in a family of its own: the Alliaceae. There are hundreds of allium varieties, of which the heavily cultivated eating crops - onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives are the most well-known.

The onion, the Allium Cepa family

The onion is usually reproduced by using seeds (generatively), the so-called ‘sowing’ onions. In addition to this, a small part of the cultivation area consists of ‘planting’ onions, small onions planted out which can be harvested earlier than the sowing onions.

If you want to find out more about the various types of onions, click here....

The shallot, the Allium Ascolonicum family

Traditionally, the shallot reproduces itself vegetatively; a small bulb is planted and forms a group (cluster) of offsets. However, since the mid nineties, there are also shallots which reproduce through seed, the ‘sowing’ shallots.

If you want to find out more about the various types of shallots, click here....

Garlic, the Allium Sativum family
Garlic reproduces itself vegetatively; a clove is planted and forms a new garlic bulb.

If you want to find out more about the various types of garlic, click here....

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