General information and discussion about cultivating onions, garlic, shallots and leeks.
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#16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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The one I have came to me as "Egyptian Onion" and has red skinned topsets. Sometimes it sets a second topset above the first one - in some cases these had flowers/seed pods instead of topsets. Others had pods among the topsets.
I was happy with how well these divided in spring - pretty much three full sized green onions for every topset I planted. That is at pretty high density. I should probably dig some now they have died down and space them out or at least see whether they have any goodly sized bulbs. |
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#17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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These are my F2 plants in which one is producing a scape much earlier than the others, not sure its a good thing as i may not have other plants to cross pollinate it with, i see how it goes but my aim is to get F3 seed from my 10 F2 plants
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Richard |
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#18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Once again this year I have flowers on the Egyptian Onions. I got no seeds last time, so rereading this I think I should remove the topset bulbs to give the flowers a chance.
I was wondering what came of other people's seed? Also wondering what alliums would cross with the topsetters. I don't have any in flower just now, there are scapes on leeks and also coming on a perennial green onion with gold skinned bulbs, but those are well behind the Egyptians which are flowering right now. Perhaps can get them to self pollinate. |
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#19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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Unlike garlic, tree onions seems to have stronger flowers, so i'm unsure if there is a need to remove the bulbils, but it cant hurt by wiping them off.
Ive only managed to get to the F2 stage, but i will try again this coming summer though
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Richard |
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#20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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Thanks, Richard.
![]() I was reading that there is a topsetting type of shallot. ![]() ![]() Your white skinned bulb looks pretty cool btw. Look forward to see more of your growout. ![]() |
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#21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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Thats something i noticed too, no pollinators, not even flies.
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Richard |
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#22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,970
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My seed, from last year, was not quite mature. So, nothing germinated this spring. I removed the topsets from about a dozen plants this year, and found just one single flower that produced seed.So I have 4-5 seeds that look better than last year. On a side note, if you happen to be out among the walking onions when the flower enclosures are almost completely brown, the ones that may contain seeds will still be green.
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#23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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I'm some pleased to see others trying to stabilize the tree onion clone too, well done guys
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Richard |
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#24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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I have discovered that in my climate if the bottom onion are planted to late in spring they dont grow flowers amoung the top set bulbils, so at the moment I have no flower to which I can rey and get seed from.
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Richard |
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#25 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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I've always grown my onions from purchased sets. I do it because I know they professionally grown and they should be fairly disease free and specific to the type I want to grow.
I have always wanted to grow the walking onions in a bed away from all other allums and not be concerned about cross pollination. One reason I haven't is the fact that I have have a lot of wild onions on my property and I'm not sure if they would cross with the walking onions. |
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#26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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There were no flowers on mine the past summer, either, Richard. So I guess cold temperatures/late springs may discourage it too.
@DonDuck, you don't need to worry much, afaik, about cross pollination from walking onions. Perhaps because they are an inter-species cross (A cepa aggregatum x A fistulosum iirc), they don't produce viable seed very easily, and likely wouldn't cross too readily with wild onions at all, which would likely be some other third species. Not saying it is impossible, but not something you'd have to worry about. And if they did produce a rare cross, it would be something very cool! ![]() |
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#27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
Posts: 1,847
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don,
if you are growing walking onions, you will be multiplying them either from the small bulb divisions growing below ground or from the top sets that are being produced. neither one will be cross pollinated since they would be considered clones? perhaps of the parent plant. keith
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#28 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,970
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I always have about 2/3 of my plants as 1 and 2 year old transplants, with about 1/3 as new transplants. Problem solved. I'm not sure, but I think all three year classes flower heavily. Searching for and forcing seed by picking off young topsets are the problems. |
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#29 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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If I plant any onion plants even close to two years old, most of them bolt before the bulbs are fully formed. After they bolt, they are basically worthless for me because they don't store well. |
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#30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,970
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These are walking onions, much different than regular onions. The main plant will produce scallions, more bulbs, and topsets for 3 years, maybe more.
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