Borettana Cipollini Onion Starts
Best heirloom choice for home gardeners seeking sweet, gourmet cooking onions.
Cultivate your own delicious summer mini onions with Borettana Cipollini Onion Starts from Sow True Seed. These Italian heirloom onions, originating from Boretto, Italy, boast a unique flattened spherical shape, resembling glossy, rosy-bronze buttons. They are perfect for cooking, caramelizing beautifully and developing a wonderful sweetness. Suitable for intermediate and long-day growing conditions, these starts are ready for immediate planting. Pre-orders begin January 1, 2026, with shipping estimated between March 9th and March 20th, 2026. Each bundle contains approximately 45 plants.
$14.95
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
763
/ 3084
#763 in Landscaping & Garden Plants
Price vs Category Average
-46%
Below average
Cultivar
Borettana Cipollini
/ Borettana Cipollini
Who it's for
- Home chefs seeking gourmet ingredients for roasting and grilling
- Gardeners in regions with short, challenging growing seasons
- Beginners needing reliable, high-performance plant starts
Who should skip it
- Budget-conscious gardeners planting in large quantities
- Busy gardeners unable to plant immediately upon delivery
- Low-maintenance gardeners wanting pest-free, hands-off crops
Performance breakdown
Culinary Versatility
Exceptional caramelization makes these a standout choice for gourmet home cooking.
Planting Convenience
Live starts eliminate germination guesswork for a faster, more reliable harvest.
Heirloom Authenticity
Genuine Italian genetics provide the classic shape and flavor profile expected.
Regional Adaptability
Strict day-length requirements necessitate careful planning for successful bulb development.
Yield Potential
Forty-five plants per bundle offer a substantial harvest for home gardens.
Growth Reliability
Well-drained soil and full sun ensure consistent, healthy bulb production.
Key Specs
Cultivar
Borettana Cipollini
Package Type
Starts
Quantity
Approximately 45 plants per bundle
Origin Country
Italy
Scientific Name
Allium cepa
Unit of Measure
plants
Growth Habit
Groundcover
Sun Exposure Requirement
Full Sun
Features
- Italian heirloom variety
- Distinctive flattened spherical shape
- Sweetens and caramelizes when cooked
- Suitable for intermediate/long-day areas
- Sold as live starts for immediate planting
- Rosy-bronze glossy button appearance
- Edible and flavorful
- Ready for garden planting
What customers say
Customers highly value these premium onion starts, focusing primarily on their exceptional quality and successful establishment. The robust packaging consistently ensures the healthy plants arrive ready for immediate transplanting, leading to high survival rates. Gardeners appreciate this reliable shortcut to cultivating the unique, sought after Borettana flavor, saving significant time over starting from seed. While the initial cost is slightly higher than standard sets, the superior health and guaranteed success of this specialty heirloom variety provide excellent overall value. The product is strongly recommended for reliably producing a gourmet harvest.
Know before you buy
Onions are sensitive to day length, which triggers bulb formation. This variety is best suited for regions where summer days provide the necessary light duration to encourage the onions to stop growing leaves and start forming their signature flattened bulbs.
Borettana Cipollini onions thrive in loose, well-drained soil. Ensure your garden bed is free of rocks and debris, and consider amending the soil with organic compost to provide the moderate moisture retention these plants prefer.
While they are edible raw, these onions are prized for their culinary performance. Their high sugar content makes them ideal for caramelizing, roasting, or braising, where they develop a distinct, mellow sweetness.
These onions have a compact growth habit, but they still need room to develop their bulbs. Space them about 3 to 4 inches apart in rows, which will require approximately 12 to 15 square feet of garden space for the entire bundle.
Yes, they perform best in a location that receives full sun, which is defined as at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Adequate light is essential for the plants to reach their full size and develop their characteristic rosy-bronze color.
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