Question about Onions

[lakngulf]

What is the best way to get started with the type of onion that are picked and used as green onions? I want a bed that will just grow continously and then use them as needed, similar to a bed of chives.

Are these started from seed? Bulbs?

[TZ -OH6]

There are several ways, including growing bunching onions, and growing from seed varieties designed to be eaten as green onions, but an easy way is to simply plant onion sets close together, which will cause them to stay small before bulbing. Stagger the plantings to keep some at the desired level of development. I say it is easy because here I can buy 1-2 lb bags of onion sets in the early spring for about the same price as a pack of seeds and it is a simple thing to stick some little sets in the ground every couple of weeks.

[garden5]

You can also get sets specifically for green onions.

[jal_ut]

Sets of the bulbing types make good green onions soon after planting.

Bunching onions are grown from seed. These never put on a large bulb.

Egyptian walking onions would do well for your purpose. You grow a mother clump for making the bulbils. The bulbils can then be planted from time to time to keep you in nice green onions. Of course you can cut greens from the mother clump, and also take some of the whole onions if you wish. They don't make a large bulb.

[garden5]

Jal's right, you can use just about any onion bulb and harvest the tops for green onions. However, I've found that if you cut the greens when growing the large storage onions, the bulbs don't get nice and big , so I've been resisting the temptation lately .

[jal_ut]

When I say grow them for green onions, I would expect to pull the whole onion, not just clip the greens.

[jal_ut]

Bunching onions.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/bunching_onion.jpg[/img]

Egyption onion scallions grown from bulbils.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_eg_2.jpg[/img]

Egyptian onion scallions cleaned up.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onions_eg_4.jpg[/img]

Adult clumps of Egyptian onions with bulbils.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_egy_7_4_2010.jpg[/img][/img]

[lakngulf]

Jal, great pictures. THAT's what I'm talking about.

[garden5]

I see your point, Jal. You would pick the whole thing, so it wouldn't matter anyhow.

I just hate to see something quit growing that has the potential for more growth, so I only clip the top green part so that more greens will come back .

I really like your Egyptian onion set-up. You have a generator patch and a harvest patch...I'm going to have to get some of those top-set onions.

[jal_ut]

I grew the bunching onions for the first time this year. They sure made some nice scallions. They have continued to get larger all season, but they don't make a bulb.

I am wondering what they will do if left in the ground over winter. What will they do next season? Anyone with experience with the bunching onions? I wonder if they will split and make a clump like chives do? I am pretty sure they will bloom and make seed.

I am going to have to move them to a different spot, but think I will try to winter some over and see what they do.

[garden5]

I grew the bunching onions for the first time this year. They sure made some nice scallions. They have continued to get larger all season, but they don't make a bulb.

I am wondering what they will do if left in the ground over winter. What will they do next season? Anyone with experience with the bunching onions? I wonder if they will split and make a clump like chives do? I am pretty sure they will bloom and make seed.

I am going to have to move them to a different spot, but think I will try to winter some over and see what they do.

I'm not sure if they will spread (I think they will), but I'm almost certain that they will come up again next year, probably with more vigor.

[lakngulf]

I am wondering what they will do if left in the ground over winter. What will they do next season? Anyone with experience with the bunching onions? I wonder if they will split and make a clump like chives do? I am pretty sure they will bloom and make seed.

That is exactly what I want. A continuous green onion supply similar to chives.

[jal_ut]

I can't yet say if they will be perennial like chives, but they have sure given me green onions all summer. I have been selling them at the Market and they go good. They are a rather mild onion. The label on the package of seed said, "White Bunching Onion".

I think you may like the Egyptian Onions. They are for sure perennial. The woman who gave me the start years ago called them "Forever Onions". I wonder if its legal to ship onions to your state? I could mail you some bulbils.

[garden5]

I can't yet say if they will be perennial like chives, but they have sure given me green onions all summer. I have been selling them at the Market and they go good. They are a rather mild onion. The label on the package of seed said, "White Bunching Onion".

I think you may like the Egyptian Onions. They are for sure perennial. The woman who gave me the start years ago called them "Forever Onions". I wonder if its legal to ship onions to your state? I could mail you some bulbils.

Actually, I recently found out that a neighbor of mine has lots of them . I just noticed the little bulbils on the tips of the leaves.

What parts of them do you eat, the greens or the blubils? How do the bulbils taste?