[Subversive_plot]

I'm thinking ahead to a fall and winter garden, and I am thinking about including yellow potato onions.  These form bulbs up to 4 inches diameter, but also make small offshoot bulbs that can be re-planted like onion sets to make the next generation of onions.  The story is that once you start growing them, the offshoots will be enough to keep your onions going each year.

If anyone grows these, I am curious about the quality of the onion.  Is the flavor similar to "common" yellow onions from the grocery?

Thank you!

[mumofstig]

Apart from the perennial Welsh onions, (Allium fistulosum) which are like spring/salad onions - it seems we don't grow them in the UK. When I looked a few years ago, I couldn't find anyone prepared to export from the USA because of the hygiene/export requirements.
Someone on e-bay was selling 'potato onions' but they turned out to be just small onion sets, not multiplier onions 

Mind you many of us save bulbs from our lifted shallot crops to replant next year, but they don't do well if left in the ground here

[New shoot]

I used to have some and they do multiply up to make a good sustainable crop, although I did lift them and store some for re-planting, rather than leave them in the ground. 

One year they all bolted, but the seed I planted didn't make big enough bulbs to survive the winter.  I dug some up and stored them and left some in the ground, but no joy,

They are surprisingly strong tasting and just like mini onions.  I used to like them to use as pickles as they were crunchy and less watery than any small onions I could buy for the same job.  They are a fiddle to peel, so you might find them a bit too much work just to grow for cooking onions.

Now I make do with Rocambole garlic that I save cloves of and plant year on year.  I shared some with a plot neighbour and he calls it Rock 'n' roll garlic, so now I call it that as well as it is a much better name   It only makes a few cloves per head, but they are large cloves with a really good flavour 

[hasbeans]

I tried walking onions my first year of growing veg.  They did ok but probably needed more space to walk, which I didn't give them as they didn't deserve it and they never walked where I wanted them to!  I now stick to Welsh onions as perennials as they are happier in a small patch with chives.  We use them when there aren't any bunching/spring onions ready but like New Shoot says, I wouldn't rely on them to replace yellow onions.

[Aunt Sally]

It’s not something that’s often grown in the UK.  Garden Organic does have some advice, however:

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/www.gardenorganic.org.uk/files/No15%20Multiplier%20Onions.pdf

[Mr Dog]

This isn't much help but I did once have a link to a small Scottish nursery that sold them - the website was pretty basic and you had to print off a form and send a cheque to order stuff. As well as potato/multiplier onions they also sold some other rare stuff. A quick goggle search for it has proved unsuccessful.

[mumofstig]

a small Scottish nursery

That was Poyntzfield Herbs I think
 https://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk/order.html

[Mr Dog]

a small Scottish nursery

That was Poyntzfield Herbs I think
 https://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk/order.html

That's the one mum, thanks! I was thinking their name had a herb in it, rather than 'herb'. Looks as though they still have potato onions in the catalogue, although possibly not available for a month or so.

[New shoot]

That is where I got mine from and I used to buy from them regularly. 

Then I had a couple of dodgy orders and didn’t have a great experience when I reported back to them that I had received substandard stuff. I haven’t been back to them since.

That is just my personal experience and things may have changed, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[Subversive_plot]

Thanks for your replies everyone.  Sorry I haven't replied before now (work had been occupying most of my waking hours).

Apart from the perennial Welsh onions, (Allium fistulosum) which are like spring/salad onions - it seems we don't grow them in the UK. When I looked a few years ago, I couldn't find anyone prepared to export from the USA because of the hygiene/export requirements.
Someone on e-bay was selling 'potato onions' but they turned out to be just small onion sets, not multiplier onions 

Mind you many of us save bulbs from our lifted shallot crops to replant next year, but they don't do well if left in the ground here

mumofstig, I did find a USA supplier (in our state of Virginia), Southern Exposure Seed Exchange https://www.southernexposure.com/.  I don't recall the company offering international sales, but if I find out that they do, I will pass that information along if  your are interested.  Their Yellow Multiplier is claimed to produce bulbs as large as 4 inches, but most will be smaller.

I used to have some and they do multiply up to make a good sustainable crop, although I did lift them and store some for re-planting, rather than leave them in the ground. 

One year they all bolted, but the seed I planted didn't make big enough bulbs to survive the winter.  I dug some up and stored them and left some in the ground, but no joy,

They are surprisingly strong tasting and just like mini onions.  I used to like them to use as pickles as they were crunchy and less watery than any small onions I could buy for the same job.  They are a fiddle to peel, so you might find them a bit too much work just to grow for cooking onions.

Now I make do with Rocambole garlic that I save cloves of and plant year on year.  I shared some with a plot neighbour and he calls it Rock 'n' roll garlic, so now I call it that as well as it is a much better name   It only makes a few cloves per head, but they are large cloves with a really good flavour 

Rock and roll garlic - I like that one! 

I am hoping the larger bulbs will be more worthwhile to peel.  I have found online instructions for growing them, even in places as far south as Florida.

I tried walking onions my first year of growing veg.  They did ok but probably needed more space to walk, which I didn't give them as they didn't deserve it and they never walked where I wanted them to!  I now stick to Welsh onions as perennials as they are happier in a small patch with chives.  We use them when there aren't any bunching/spring onions ready but like New Shoot says, I wouldn't rely on them to replace yellow onions.

I think those walking onions may be different - like Egyptian onions, with tiny bulbs at the top of the flower stalk?  I grew those a long time ago, never had much use for them back then.  I realize now that they probably should have been used like scallions.

It’s not something that’s often grown in the UK.  Garden Organic does have some advice, however:

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/www.gardenorganic.org.uk/files/No15%20Multiplier%20Onions.pdf

I appreciate that link, and will look into that!

This isn't much help but I did once have a link to a small Scottish nursery that sold them - the website was pretty basic and you had to print off a form and send a cheque to order stuff. As well as potato/multiplier onions they also sold some other rare stuff. A quick goggle search for it has proved unsuccessful.

I do appreciate that information.  Fortunately, I have found a USA supplier, so I hope to avoid the import/phytosanitary requirements and paperwork.