Perennial Potato and Egyptian Walking Onions
Over the past couple years I’ve been reading about permaculture and have been looking for ways to incorporate more of these techniques into my gardening. One of the things that many permaculture advocates suggest is using as many perennial vegetables as possible to limit the need to disturb the soil by working it too much. Adding more perennial fruits and vegetables would also help with the gardening work load! Since I love trying to things, especially in the garden I decided I’d try my hand at growing perennial onions and Egyptian Walking onions. I searched on-line and found them at Southern Exposure.
According to Southern Exposure:
Heirloom potato onions enjoyed widespread popularity before the turn of the century. Nearly every gardener grew potato onions and they were available in yellow, white, and reddish-brown varieties, the yellow being most common. Potato onions are still a local favorite in some areas of Virginia. Each bulb cluster of potato onions may contain many bulbs, averaging 2 to 2-1/2″ in diameter. When a small bulb (3/4″) is planted, it will usually produce one or two larger bulbs. When a large bulb (3 to 4″) is planted, it will produce approximately 10 to 12 bulbs per cluster. These bulbs of various sizes may be used for eating, storing, or replanting. By replanting a mixture of sizes you will have plenty of sets for next year’s crop and plenty of onions for eating during the year. Potato onions can increase 3- to 8- fold by weight each year depending on growing conditions. Potato onions store better than most seed onions, and individual bulbs can be grown in flower pots to produce a steady supply of green onions during the winter.
The potato onions looked like shallots and the Egyptian onions were tiny little bulbs, not quite what I was expecting.
Egyptian Onions are described by Southern Exposure this way:
The onion to plant if you always want onions. Egyptian Walking Onions grow perennially in a bed. Hardy bulbs set bulblets on stalks. Air bound bulblets will sprout new smaller stalks, which fall over and replant themselves, hence the name “Walking”. Bulbs can be harvested over Fall and Winter. Green Onions can be harvested selectively as they grow. Plant them where you intend to have them for a long time, as they are quite hardy.
I planted both of these last fall and I was pretty excited when I saw the potato onions and the walking onions coming up this spring. I’m interested to see how they do here in the gardens and what the flavor is like. Not having to plant as many onions each year will be nice if these work out. I’ll be sure you keep you posted.
Do you have any perennial vegetables or fruits in the garden?
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to Tweets that mention Perennial Potato and Egyptian Walking Onions | Chiot’s Run — Topsy.com's comment
The Egyptian Walking Onions are a gift that keeps on giving!!! We like them coated with EVOO, Salt & Cayenne then thrown on the grill for a couple minutes….oh so sweet!!!
Enjoy!
.-= Diane@Peaceful Acres´s last blog ..A Sacred Decision =-.
to Diane@Peaceful Acres's comment
They sound interesting but I’ve never tried either type. As for perennial vegetables we just planted some asparagus and for fruit we have strawberries!
.-= Dave´s last blog ..Fickle Spring =-.
to Dave's comment
I was going to ask you if you had any onion recommendations. I haven’t had much luck with them here.. except maybe some white Lisbens.. I am going to have to look into the Egyptions… : )
.-= Beegirl´s last blog ..It’s never just "junk"… =-.
to Beegirl's comment
Asparagus, chives, tarragon, and chervil. But I’ll be very interested to see how your onions do, because I would LOVE to have perennial onions.
.-= kristin @ going country´s last blog ..Two =-.
to kristin @ going country's comment
Those are very interesting, I think I’ll have to start some next year.
I have the usual herbs (though it appears that our hard winter killed some of them); rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, chives, etc. I also have kale, which re-seeds it self quite well so I never have to plant any seeds. Rhubarb, of course, with the usual raspberries, strawberries, and a kiwi. Not so much on the actual vegetable end of things though.
.-= Ecologystudent´s last blog ..Certainty is a wonderful thing =-.
to Ecologystudent's comment
Those are interesting and I love the idea of bulbs just waiting for you, but I’d have to do some more research before deciding they were for me.
We have the usual fruit trees and herbs, and perennial veggies like artichokes.
.-= stefaneener´s last blog ..Early morning beauty =-.
to stefaneener's comment
I grow the multiplier onions each year but they are lifted and then replanted so they are not quite a true perennial – just self sufficient. I also grow asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, strawberrries, cranberries, blackberries, and blueberries – which are all perennial plantings. Last year I added bush pie cherries to the mix as well – another perennial.
to kitsapFG's comment
Thank you for sharing this…I want to try the Walking Onions. Sounds like my kind of planting…perennial!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Ever heard of a Blogging Bee? =-.
to Michelle's comment
I have always wanted to try potato onions. I’ll look forward to your report on them. It seems I can never grow nice onions from sets or seeds, maybe these would be a good alternative.
.-= Dan´s last blog ..Pea Planting =-.
to Dan's comment
I’m growing multiplier onions for the first time this year. They won’t be mailed until late April, but I look forward to tasting them! “The proof is in the pudding” as they say. hehe
.-= Kara´s last blog ..Old Victory Garden Film =-.
to Kara's comment
I love southern exposure! Great catalog and so many unique varieties.
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Spending the day in Sanibel! =-.
to Christine's comment
I inherited some walking onions which I had to leave behind as we moved in December. I love them. I used the onion bulblets that grow on top whole in stews and pickles and planted a few for spring green onions. They are a bit bigger than green onions but tasty. In the summer the onions grew in clumps with small bulb. They get hotter in flavour but are great in stirfries etc. I would grow them in addition to bulb onions. They are very cold hardy and never had any pest damage. Probably the only thing the grass hoppers didn’t eat!
I am looking for some more. I may have to raid my old garden!
to Sarah's comment
Over the last two decades we have collected rhubarb, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, elephant garlic, and Egyptian onions, and are delighted to adapt our recipes to perenniality! In the same way, we’re sold on having filberts, figs, blueberries, kiwis, hops, goumi, aronia, blackberries, apples, plums, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines, quinces, and persimmons on the premises — most of these in the chicken run which stretches around the garden. The birds eat the insects that approach the trees and the garden, and also the fruit that we miss. The challenge now is to find room for annuals!
A friend came over for some of our rhubarb and walking onions that hat exceeded their boundaries. It was nice to have the “weeds” to dispose of in this manner. I’m looking to add potato onions next.
.-= risa b´s last blog ..A strange year =-.
to risa b's comment
I inherited a gaggle of walking onions when I bought my house. The woman whom we bought it from said she started with 4 a couple years ago and when I dug them up so I could put them in beds there were 20 and they just keep growing like mad. I think you will have excellent luck with them. Enjoy!
to Ashley's comment
I’m not familiar with Potato Onions but received and planted some Egyptian Onions last Fall. Was happy to see them coming up the other day. Other perennial alliums I’m adding to the space this year include Nodding Onions, Prairie Onions, Wild Leeks and Wild Garlic. I’m also adding some salsify and sunchokes as well as many perennial herbs. Am hoping to get a lot more berries in the garden this year too.
to miss m's comment
I have chives, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. However, when I lived in the country we had what we called “winter onions”, I forgot all about those. Not sure they were the same as your potato or Egyptian Walking onions, but I appreciate the reminder as I will ask our local greenhouse about perennial onions.
.-= Sense of Home´s last blog ..Book Review: "Canning & Preserving with Ashly English =-.
to Sense of Home's comment
We used to have Egyptian Walking Onions at the house before this one. They came with the house and were rather overgrown as they had been neglected for several years. They were *very* hardy and our attempts at getting them out of a particular location were not always successful.
Unfortunately we don’t have them now…and I’m finding that I didn’t really appreciate them as much as I should have when we did!
.-= Pampered Mom´s last blog ..Folk Music Fridays – “Shenandoah” =-.
to Pampered Mom's comment
So, that’s what is supposed to happen with walking onions! I got some last spring that had already sprouted and while they are still alive and have re-sprouted, they didn’t really do much last year. I understand they should be fall-planted but as they were already sprouting last spring what could I do but plant them (they were a giveaway). I’m hoping they will have had their internal clocks “reset” by the winter and that I’ll get a harvest this year. Perhaps I also didn’t fertilize properly–any suggestions in that regard?
to Sara's comment
I’d try giving them a shot of fertilizer and see what happens. Maybe they just need some time to get established.
to Susy's comment
I left an award for you on my blog. Congrats!
.-= Momma Fargo´s last blog ..Darryl and My Other Brother Darryl =-.
to Momma Fargo's comment
Those look fascinating! I grow society garlic, which is a perennial form of green garlic, and it’s very easy. It grows in bunches and can be divided periodically to spread it. It doesn’t form bulbs but the greens can be used like green garlic.
to Gretchen's comment
I was given a few Egyptian Walking Onions a few weeks ago. Really like the idea of perennial veggies. Besides the usual herbs, we grow sorrel, asparagus and sunchokes as perennial. Swiss chard (at least some cultivars) can also behave as short-lived perennial if you keep breaking tjhe flowering shoots and protect them in the winter. And mache behaves like a perennial since it’s always reseeding.
.-= Sylvie in Rappahannock´s last blog ..The Taste Of Green =-.
to Sylvie in Rappahannock's comment
My landlord has Egyptian onions planted throughout the bed in front of the house. I wondered if they were edible. How exciting! Did they taste good? I suppose it’s too late to eat them now, but we’ll definitely dig some up in the fall. I’m so glad you posted this!
.-= Brittany Noel´s last blog ...so far. =-.
to Brittany Noel's comment
[…] blogged earlier this spring about the potato onions I planted last fall. They’re kind of like shallots in that they multiply from a main bulb. I wasn’t sure how well […]
to growing and harvesting potato onions | Chiot’s Run's comment
[…] but many people don’t realize you can buy perennial onions and leeks as well. I planted these Egyptian Walking Onions 2 years ago along with some perennial potato onions (which aren’t technically perennial because […]
to Egyptian Walking Onions | Chiot’s Run's comment
Hi. I’m new to your blog & poking around. As of this spring we’ve incorporated egyptian walking onions into our garden. I’m curious your update on yours two years later!
to Lindsay Wilkinson's comment
They’re GREAT we love them. I’ll definitely have to write an update to encourage more people to grow them.
to Susy's comment
I live in Nevada(Tahoe area) high desert and I have struggle growing many things Egyptian Walking Onions where given to me by a stranger. They just grow so easily it is amazing.
to Dave Durgan's comment