Potato Onion

Potato onions (also known as multiplier onion) are a type of perennial onion similar to a shallot but producing larger bulbs. I’ve grown various varieties of potato onions for many years and am currently propagating my own new varieties. These seeds are open pollinated seed from the various varieties of onions I’ve propagated (as shown in the pictures) and will produce onions of different sizes, shapes and colors.  The famous Green Mountain Potato onion (known for it’s large size) was used in cross pollination of these these new onion varieties.

These seeds will grow into a single onion bulbs their first year, and in following years each bulb planted will grow into a clump of new onion bulbs. The bulbs are typically planted in the fall or early spring and mature mid summer, at which time they can be harvested or simply left in the ground to grow and multiply the following season.

I find potato onions very easy to grow and harvest, and they produce very reliably. They can produce bulbs up to 3″ in diameter and can be kept all winter when stored in a dark dry location making them a useful culinary onion.

These potato onion seed grow just like any other type of onion seed, I suggest starting them in trays of soil indoors or in a greenhouse because they need to be kept watered regularly as they are germinating.  After the onion plants are a few inches tall they are very easy to transplant to the garden because they do not mind being dug up and replanted.

This seed was grown naturally here at Full Sky Farm