Bunching Onions

8 years ago

I am looking for info on bunching onions, maybe known by perennial, Asian, multiplying, or walking onions. I don’t mean spring salad onions. I’m looking for the kind of onion that will survive Tulsa climate year round, year after year.

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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

8 years ago

You might find more info on the Allium Forum, bunching onions (and other multiplier onions) are often discussed there.

Bunching onions (Allium fistulosum) do not form bulbs, and are used as scallions. They are perennial, and many will divide to form clumps. There is wide variation in size, hardiness, and the degree to which they multiply. In my trials, those with the widest stems were least hardy, and slowest to multiply... but they would probably be better adapted to warmer climates. Most of the varieties available commercially are from Asia, and are available as seed. Evergreen Y.H., Kitazawa, and Baker Creek are all good sources.

Walking onions are also perennial, and used primarily as scallions. They multiply both by division, and by the bulbils which form on the flower stalk. Walking onions are exceptionally hardy, and once established, need little care. They can form small bulbs, which keep poorly, but are extremely pungent. They are generally sold/traded as bulbils ("Egyptian" and "Catawissa" are the most common). There are few commercial sources, but there are heirloom varieties (including the two above) that are widely traded. The bulbils are available in late Summer or early Fall.

I will have seed for an heirloom bunching onion, and bulbils for walking onions, available for trade later this summer. The bunching onion was originally sent to me by someone in Kansas, so chances are that it would do equally well in Oklahoma.

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Comments (16)

smallfern
8 years ago
zeedman, I will be very interested in walking onions. Let me know when available please. I can trade Curry Leaf (Murraya Koenigii) seedling or Pandanus Amoryifullis, or Moringa/Asian veggie seeds.
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bcomplx
8 years ago
Bunching onions such as Evergreen Bunching have not been reliable perennials for me, but I highly recommend topsetting multipliers, also known as Egyptian walking onions. Right now mine are resting on the drying rack, but in a few weeks I'll plant the little topset bulbs for a great fall harvest of green onions. You can cure out the roots and get a small elongated shallot for cooking. Fun fun onions.
arator thanked bcomplx
slowpoke_gardener
8 years ago
I have Egyptian walking onions that basically grow wild. I keep them thinned out so they don't take over the place. I noticed yesterday that new shoots were coming up from the main bulb area. The top set bulbs will be rooting soon also. The rain and cooler weather may have them thinking it is fall.

I will be glad to share with anyone. I will not have many topset bulbs because I only one or two plants, my wife thinks they are too strong.
smallfern
8 years ago
slowpoke_gardener, I would love to have a swap with you for walking onions. I have seeds of Asian veggies, Moringa, heirloom tomatoes, Asian beans, 12" pandan plants which I'm rooting in water... Please PM me what you would like for the exchange. Thanks.
zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
8 years ago
Smallfern, what are the Asian beans you are trading? Some of my walking onions have mature bulbils; and if you are willing to wait a couple weeks, I will have seed for two bunching onion varieties as well.
slowpoke_gardener
8 years ago
Smallfern,

This is what I have. I expect there is a dozen top set bulbs in that small pile with atleast that many more on the plant. If this is what you want , let me know how many ant I will send them.

I dont want anything in return, but I would not refuse shipping reimbursement when you recieve the package.

I am sorry, I dont know how to PM. I would post my email and hope I can use this tablet well enough to get back to you.
smallfern
8 years ago
zeedman, I am attaching a pic of the beans I have to offer. Winged beans, red and green Long Beans, as we call them.
smallfern
8 years ago
slowpoke_gardener, yes, these are what my neighbors & I are looking for. I will gladly reimburse you for shipping & packaging charges. We are trying to get as much as we can to share among 4 backyard veg gardeners :) You can email me at pekebuntg at gmail. Thanks
slowpoke_gardener
8 years ago
Smallfern, I hate being so stupid, but I can't get my tablet to "send". If you will email me at Larry peugh at Yahoo dot com (just leave the spaces out and make it like any other address I think I can recieve ok. If not maybe my grandkids or great grandkids can straighten me out this weekend.

Thanks, Larry
Eileen S
8 years ago
Hi smallfern, (random question) may I ask where did you get Pandanus Amaryllifolius from? So far, we have only found it at seedsofindia.com, and it's $25.95 for the plant.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
8 years ago
What Eileen asked, smallfern! :)
smallfern
8 years ago
Hi Eileen Sim,
I bought 2 small Pandan plants from an Asian grocery store run by a Vietnamese lady about 5yrs ago. She sells all kinds of plants on consignment, still does.
$25.95 for a pandan plant??!! I'm re-rooting several, might take 2-3wks. Email me if you want to do a swap.
smallfern
8 years ago
slowpoke_gardener, I've sent you a test msg. Fingers XXed.
slowpoke_gardener
8 years ago
Smallfern, I got the message and tried to reply, I hope it went through
zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Arator & Smallfern, I have seed for one of the bunching onions I mentioned above, the one obtained from Kansas. The variety is either Franz or Stevenson (both heirlooms), don't know which, since both are very similar. Both were grown the same year as part of a 9-variety trial, then turned under to make way for other crops. This one refused to die after being roto-tilled several times, so out of respect for its tenacity, I kept it. ;-)

This onion has 1/2" stalks, very similar in length & width to those of walking onions. It is extremely winter hardy, and divides rapidly... more than twice as fast as the walking onions adjacent to it. I have a fairly large amount if seed, enough for quite a few SASE trades... send me a PM if interested.