Yellow Potato Onions?

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by Zeedman

. . . Incidentally, when I plant multipliers in the Fall, I get more & larger bulbs than I do if Spring planted. If planted in Summer (during long days) the clusters will divide heavily, but produce only tiny bulbs, or none at all. Only Fall planted bulbs will flower, and even then not every year.

I have been reading of Kelly Winterton's potato onion program for several years now, and will probably order seeds next year... perhaps to cross with mine.

FWIW, I spring plant my Kelly-Winterton-potato-onion-descendants -- for the same reasons that he says that spring planting works best for him -- and at least with Green Mountain -- the only one with which I have several years' observation -- the spring planted ones normally grow large bulbs (and some smaller ones, but none I'd call tiny) -- and they've bloomed, sometimes more, sometimes less -- each year. That may be because Green Mountain is a good keeper -- so its bulbs don't have to be in the ground to keep through the winter and because we nearly always have some cold and wet weather after I've spring planted.

I believe one factor that encourages blooming is a period of early underground growth, followed by a cold wet period that isn't cold and wet enough to freeze or rot the bulbs, followed by warming into the main growing period.

Due to weather and other things I'll be planting them a little later this spring than I usually do, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have less tendency to flower than they have other years -- but then I'm primarily interested in multiplying the already selected Green Mountains -- and have less time, space, and energy to work on finding new variations.

Dakota Red bloomed for me last year, too -- but only a couple of bulbs had survived in fairly good condition for spring planting, and then the voles turned out to like them, so the blooming wasn't productive. I ordered some more Dakota Reds from him last autumn, and those seem to have survived the winter in better condition than the starter bulbs I was working with last year, so I am hoping for better results when I plant them this spring. Voles permitting.

Regarding what several have said about finding one or more of Winterton's journals -- doing a google search for the words I listed at the end of post #19 should find the link to the potato onion page of Winterton's website -- which includes links to each of the four booklets he's posted -- three successive journals -- up to 2013, 2013 to 2015, and 2016 (in progress), plus another booklet in which he is apparently assembling what he thinks is the most important basic information about potato onions. There is some overlap between the booklets, but all are worth reading -- and they contain links to some other useful sources of into.

Listed on that same page of his website are some other useful links regarding potato onions.

I haven't put the links here as Mischka said in a discussion at idig that links run up his bandwidth bill. I don't entirely understand what circumstances cause this, but I've been trying to use outside-the-forum links only when it seems really necessary to communicate, and the people in this thread all seem able to execute searches for listed target phrases.

[sdzejachok]

Southern Exposure and Maine Potato Lady have yellow potato onions now. The Seed Savers Exchange member listings are also always a good place to try. I have grown them since 2009 but I'd have to look up what company they came from. Some had nice size at over 2". They had hardly any tops, yet formed nice onions. They do better if you dig them up each year and replant separating the bulbs. The next year the small bulbs grow into a big bulb, and the big bulbs divide into a cluster of bulbs. They did not take the heat of summer here in Ohio, and the tops died off pretty early, but the ones left in the ground came back in the fall just fine and that's a good time to plant the ones you dug up, or a little before that. They sometimes form flowers and seeds too.

[Tropicalgrower]

Thanks for the heads up on retailers sdzejachok.

If you had problems with the yellow variety and heat,then I am sure that I would also.I have been told by a couple of different people who are very knowledgeable,that the yellow isn't necessarily a good choice for the further south hot locales.

There maybe some varietal crossing with the Yellow that might work well...but the yellow on it's own might not be the best choice?

[sdzejachok]

Since I was happy with the yield and size of the onions, I did not consider the summer die back a problem. That was just how they grew for me. The l'itoi did the same thing, coming back strong and growing over the winter.

[Tropicalgrower]

Originally Posted by sdzejachok

Since I was happy with the yield and size of the onions, I did not consider the summer die back a problem. That was just how they grew for me. The l'itoi did the same thing, coming back strong and growing over the winter.

That's interesting to hear sdzejachok...especially about the I'itoi.I am not discouraged to try it tho.I am determined to find at least 1 that will do well for me here.

[aftermidnight]

I managed to get my hands on a few 'Broome Longkeeper' potato onions last year, after harvest I gave a few away, we did eat some but kept a few to plant this year. This variety is getting extremely hard to find, hopefully I will be able to share a few in the fall, unfortunately only here in Canada.

Annette