Multiplier Onions

[tinychicken]

Anyone ever grow them? I read one source that said to harvest everything in the summer and replant the best bulbs in the fall (like garlic).

Another source said something (of course I can't remember exactly what)about leaving some in the ground at all times for a continuous fresh harvest.

Any input is appreciated!

 

[bills]

I planted "Evergreen Bunching" onions from seed, and have been pleased with the results.

They have produced nice new green onions for two years running now. I harvest a few from each for salads and such. The bulbs multiply in the ground, and I don't bother to dig them up each year.

A friend has the kind that grow bulbs at the top when they mature, and he just separates them and replants the bulbs, with great success.

For cooking onions, yellow, red, or Walla Walla and such, I just plant starters every year, and harvest them when the leaves start to dry/yellow.

HTH

 

[digitS']

I haven't tried leaving bunching onions in the ground over the winter. I think that Bills may have been the 1st to have even given me the idea. I like them real well but have sown the seed in late winter (flat, indoors) and again in late spring (flat, backyard). Transplanting them into the open garden later in the season.

Multiplier onions (Territorial Seed sell 'em) are something I haven't tried, at all. It looks like they would require the same sort of care as shallots.

I guess I'm not much help . . .

Steve

 

[bcallaha]

I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but we used to have an onion patch that we called "Winter" onions. Each spring, the little onions would come up and we would pull them when they are the size of the green onions you buy in the store. We would eat the small bulb and the green stalk. When it warmed up and started getting into summer, the bulbs would get big and too strong to eat, so we let them go to seed. The next year, the same thing all over again. We didn't do anything special to that patch, and they came up year after year, for many years.

Brad

 

[Greenthumb18]

I have some egyptian walking onions that i planted last summer, they'll form a cluster or small onions on the top that will bend over and take root, growing more onions.

 

[tinychicken]

Thanks all for the replies.

Are bunching onions the same as green onions and scallions? I have grown scallions and when harvesting, I would only take some outer leave but leave the growing center intact. The leaves will keep growing. If the scallions overwinter, they will flower and go to seed the following year, self-sowing so you will have a continual onion patch.

As a matter of fact, I planted the root end of some scallions I bought at the store and they grew. Got that idea after seeing how many were growing in my compost pile.

I always order from Territorial and I will probably give those multipliers a try this year.