Potato Onions v Shallots

[veggiechicken]

Potato Onions and Shallots are multiplier onions - plant one onion/shallot and it grows several more bulbs. Save some and replant the following year. In theory, you need never buy another set, once you have your initial stock.
Two years ago I bought 5 Potato onions and grew them on last year, replanting all the onions this year.
Alongside them, I grew a £1 bag of cooking shallots bought from T3sco.

I harvested them all today, potato onions on the left and shallots on the right:-



Makes me wonder why I bothered with the Potato Onions. Two years of growing for something so tiny that it would disappear once peeled.

Does anyone else grow potato onions? Are yours larger - or are they just a novelty onion - like Walking onions?

Yours sincerely
Puzzled and disappointed of South Wales

[Shadylane]

Hi Veggie, I realise this is an oldish thread but suddenly remembered I was going to order some of these this autumn, but after searching and finding your thread I am wondering if I should bother.

Where did you get them from? Was it Poyntzfields or ebay? I grew some from ebay and they were rubbish. Didn't multiply much and most went to seed, so I suspected they were shallots and not the real thing. It's hard to find much info about them as hardly anyone seems to grow them over here. I wonder if this is because they are rubbish

[veggiechicken]

Hi Shadylane I think I had them from Zazen. If you want to try some of these, let me know. I'll probably bung them in an odd corner and hope for bigger,better things next year.

[Guest]

I bought twice from pontyzfield as the first lot really were poor. I have grown them several years and for each one planted they multiply to between 5-7 and range from silverskin size to golf ball size. I wouldn't class them as novelty but certainly not a priority crop either.

I have tried white and red potato onions off ebay and they were rubbish and did not behave like potato onions.

I like the idea of shop bought shallots I have always failed miserably with shallots except one year when I grew from seed.

[Tripmeup]

Just to comment on the other side, I have been growing and replanting them for a few years now and my crop this year was brilliant, with lots of big ones...So, they can be a success

[Shadylane]

Cheers for the offer veggiechicken... still undecided...sounds like they are a bit fickle and inconsistent. Maybe you just have to get lucky with a good batch. Or maybe you have to grow them a few years before you get a result.

[Guest]

Shady,

If you have the space give them a bash. You are quite welcome to some of mine not that they should be any from VC's. If you don't rate them then just don't replant the following year.

[Shadylane]

Thanks to both of you for the kind offers, I may take one of you up on it.

[nellie-m]

Don't know if that helps but I couldn't help thinking of this blog post of Zazen's.

The Linear Legume: Big Shallots

[veggiechicken]

I remember that ^^^, nellie
Problem is, mine start small and stay small

[djhs196]

I'm also thinking of planting some; those on eBay looked rather shallot like.

However, I know that the Heritage Seed Library do have named varieties of multiplier onion including: John Rye & Gloucester Special

I wondering if these might be closer to the original, larger and more productive?

In the states, an interesting read is Kelly Winterton impressive efforts at getting really large potato onions

https://sites.google.com/site/kellys...attredirects=0

Shame we can't get onion sets sent over from the states, although he does sell seed outside of the states. They look significantly larger than many I've seem!

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Sorry VC just seen this thread. I've grown potato onions for a few years and my onions are larger than yours

Each onion I plant generally produces about 12 good sized onions plus a few bulbits. Are you replanting the onions or the bulbits? I've found I get a much better crop from the bulbits.

If you got the potato onions from Zaz then you are growing the same onions as me, as I gave Zazen the onions.

[veggiechicken]

Larger than mine, Harumphhhh
I've been replanting everything - can't tell what's what, they're all teeny.
Still haven't tried eating one - for all I know they taste disgusting

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Nope no surprises on the taste front, they taste like eh onions

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Also forgot to say I grow them in pots (Morrisons flower buckets). Don't know if growing in buckets helps