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Heirloom Onions: Anyone Grow These?

19 years ago

I was wondering about how these grow in the metro Atlanta area. Has anyone grown any multiplier potato onions or Egyptian Walking onions? How do they perform? How do they store and what about taste and uses?

Comments (10)

  • 19 years ago

    Onion growing is about the soil as anyone from vadalia will confirm. Metro Atlanta is not condusive to onion growing unless you significantly ammend your soil to the proper medium. Azaleas grow great here in metro atlanta for a reason! Also, check with ACES and GA orgainics...is this the right time of the year to plant them?

    In anycase, make sure you add mychorrhzae (missing in metro atlanta) fungi to allow better uptake of nutrients for this plant.

    Email me and I'll send you some AM120 we have around as samples.

  • 19 years ago

    The ones I've seen for sale in catalogs are sold for planting in the fall. One source said that the Egyptian Walking onions could be planted early in the year.

  • 19 years ago

    ntbio, the samples of AM120 sound great. I looked at your member page, but I didn't see any place to e-mail you. Please let me know. Thanks!

  • 19 years ago

    Here's a description from the Spring 2007 Park Seed Co. catalog: "EGYPTIAN WALKING ONION. Heirloom. All parts of this remarkable plant are edible---use the stalks as scallions, the underground bulbs and the top-set bulbils as onions. Zone 3-10. LIMITED SUPPLY!" (However, when I searched their website nothing comes up for either the name or item number.)

  • 19 years ago

    I have raised beds in my veggie garden with not fully ammended soil. Meaning I ammended it well last year, but everything still isn't fully incorporated into the clay. It's still a bit sticky.
    I have absolutely no problem growing onions in metro atlanta. I grow them organically, and they do very well for me. I grow several types of multiplying onions.
    We also grow onions in our church vegetable gardens with no problem, and they are regularly grown at the local communities gardens.

    GGG

  • 19 years ago

    girlgroupgirl, how would you describe your experience with multiplying onions?

  • 19 years ago

    BFlion, our onions came mostly (but not totally) as offsets from a friend in the mail. My Mom gave me "welsh onions" too. They are all planted in the same bed also with garlic. They do most of their growing in late winter and early spring, and are wonderful right now. The welsh onion is going to bloom soon.

    All of these multiplying onions do less well in heat, but are OK. We do eat them all year 'round, however, I don't have as many as I'd like!! They do grow fairly fast. As fast as most perennial plants once they start to grow, however, that's not as fast as you'd like once you begin to eat them, so plant MANY. I planted them in clumps a few inches apart and have been letting them grow together.

    During the late spring they get black aphids. The aphids really don't do much harm, and I just spray 'em with a blast of water every once and awhile.

    Allium from seed are easy if you can't get the plants. They will germinate in cooler weather. Here's an excellent link!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Floridata, allium fistulosum

  • 19 years ago

    girlgroupgirl, thanks for the info and link. Have you grown any of the Egyptian Walking Onions?

  • 19 years ago

    Yes, I do grow topset or egyptian walking onions. Again, no problems at all with them here in a raised bed that has been somewhat ammended.
    I find these tasty when lightly grilled, salted, and then sprinkled with lime juice! Oh, a real summer treat! YUM!

    GGG

  • 19 years ago

    GGG, how do you grill them? What part do you grill? Do you place them on skewers?

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