Errington Heirloom Potato Onion Bulbs

Errington Heirloom Potato Onion Bulbs - Yellow Multiplier Onion Sets - Allium cepa var. aggregatum

Yellow Multiplier Onion Sets
Allium cepa var. aggregatum

Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun
Germination Tested N/A

50 grams per packet

$9.00 CAD

Sale Sold out

Product variants

Quantity

This listing is for "Errington Heirloom" potato onion *bulbs* not seeds. Also known as onion sets. Each bulb will multiply into several more onions.

The variety is unknown, so I'm calling them "Errington Heirloom". They are more elongated in shape than other potato onion varieties, and are all a golden yellow colour. My friend Jenelle of Nanoose Creek Farmhouse got these from an old farmer in Errington several years ago and has been growing them ever since! These bulbs are grown by her at her family farm in Nanoose, Vancouver Island.

Bulbs of this variety sold for planting are approximately marble to gumball size (2 to 10 grams). There are approximately 8 bulbs in 50 grams.

Potato onions are a perennial multiplying onion, slightly smaller than regular onions, but their advantages are they are easier to grow and they keep for much longer in storage, up to a year in my experience. Potato onions used to be popular in North American gardens, but fell out of favour eventually, possibly because they could not be mechanically harvested. The only downside to potato onions is the smaller size than regular onions- but their ease of cultivation, storability, and flavour make them totally worth it! Each bulb will multiply to create 4 to 10 new bulbs, like garlic.

The flavour is excellent. They can be used in place of regular onions in any recipe. They are excellent caramelized with some white wine to deglaze the pan. They also become deliciously jammy when slow roasted in their skins and squeezed out. They can be used peeled and whole in roasts or stews.

If you want to produce seeds, leave the onions in the ground overwinter, and they are more likely to flower. If you don't want seeds and want bigger bulbs, cut the flower stalks off as they form and eat like green onions. This variety is nice because they don't seem to flower as readily as the Andy's Green Mountain variety, which saves you a bit of work cutting off flower stalks.

Hardy to zone 4 if you want to leave the bulbs in the ground over winter to perennialize. They can probably be grown in colder zones if you make sure to bring all the bulbs inside for winter, which most growers do anyway. In zone 7, I find about 80%+ survive the winter outside.

Growing Instructions

Plant in fall or spring in full sun. Plant about 8-12 inches apart, pushing the bulbs about 1/2 to 2/3 down into the soil. Onions can be heavy feeders, so amend the bed with lots of compost, and you can side dress with more compost and/or give a liquid fertilizer throughout the season. We recommend mulching with straw, like you do with garlic, for insulation and to keep weeds down.

HARVEST AND STORAGE: Cut off flower stalks as they form if you want larger bulbs and no seeds. Harvest bulbs when their tops have flopped over and start to brown, around July or August. You can reduce watering at this time as well. Cure the onions in a shady and well-ventilated spot for a few weeks, then store in a dark, room temperature place until you eat them or replant in the spring. Or just leave some in the ground to see if they will perennialize in your area (they will probably do better if you divide and space them out every couple years).

Eat the biggest onions, and replant the small ones. Generally, if you plant smaller onions, they will multiply into larger, fewer onions. If you plant larger onions, they will multiply into many smaller onions.

Shipping & Returns

We ship seeds within Canada for a flat fee of $6, United States for $25, and internationally for $25*. Live plants and bulbs can only be shipped within Canada.

Shipping in Canada

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive. Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

Shipping to the US

We ship all US orders by tracked packet and they usually take two weeks to arrive.

According to the USDA, most seeds require an import permit to be brought into the US and the permit is free and useable for multiple orders/years. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". In our experience shipping seeds over several years, most small orders will make it across the border without issues, but occasionally they will be held at US Customs.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit and Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by US customs.

Shipping Internationally

International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit and Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.

International shipping countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

If you have any issues with the quality of your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will make it right!

*Shipping fees are in Canadian dollars.