Does anyone know a supplier for these please. I've just read about them and want to try them but have come up empty handed on the internet looking for a supplier.
Although I am new to the Forum I have been active for some years. The potato onion is very similar to the shallot, but forms underground, and like it does not normally make any seed at all. It used to be grown in the UK and there may be some old gardeners (who are not so likely to be members of this forum) in Somerset, Devon, or Cornwall who still grow it, but I have not been able to find any yet.
The shallot is the more important crop and
is now available as seed but the commercial growers are not doing the same for the potato onion
So the short answer is that there is no seed available and won't be. They are grown from bulbs and are available in places like the Ukraine (where some work is being done on them) and the USA. Unfortunately you are not allowed to import from the USA by post, but apparently
may bring in up to 1/2 lb of healthy bulbs for your own use in your hand luggage. I can't get any now until next Autumn but will be bringing some in then for growing in 2010.
The question of seed is interesting. They, and shallots, can be made to flower but need both cold treatment at a particular stage of development and growing on in semi drought conditions as far as I can see. The current varieties available do not make large bulbs but apparently some of the clones derived from accidently seeded potato onions do produce more useful sized bulbs.
I would like to see them back in cultivation in this country again and doing so by producing seed is the obvious way. If I can find any bulbs in the EU then importing will not be a problem and we could start with them. Otherwise we will all have to be a bit patient I am afraid.