How do I deal with multiplier onions?

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Chilko Precipice Valley, BC(Zone 2a) Jun 28, 2007

A friend picked up onion sets for me--and brought multiplier onions by mistake. I've never grown them before, nor used them. They now are a foot high and healthy--but what do I do with them? Use them like green onions? (Seems a waste--I have lots of those) Let them get bigger? Use them like scallions? (I have those also)

Tks for any insight. I grow in zone 2 in northern B.C.

Rosemary

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Jun 28, 2007

Good luck. Back in the olden days we grew multiplier (potato onions) because you did not have a feed and seed store to sell you sets in the spring and seed onions did not perform well. It you plant the tiny bulbs (sets) they will grow into a nice medium size onions, (they are storage onions and they are hot) The large onions store nicely and in the spring a number of these were planted. Each onion grew into a dozen or more small bulbs which were the planted the following spring for big onions. It works but is a labor intensive and space consuming way to grow onions.

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Chilko Precipice Valley, BC(Zone 2a) Jun 28, 2007

You're right; sounds labour intensive plus is taking up space. However, my season is too short now to start regular onion sets. If I want to use the small bulbs as green onions, do I just break off a few or pull the whole collection? Just because I have them, I'll probably save most for next year (I live in a remote area and it's always difficult to get sets when I want to plant).

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Jun 28, 2007

If yours is in multiple set production, I would pull the whole thing when I wanted to use them for green onions. Its hard to seperate them in the ground without damage.

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Chilko Precipice Valley, BC(Zone 2a) Jul 03, 2007

thanks, Farmerdill--am now starting to do that.

Oh well, at least my Bermudas are doing fine (from my last year's crop)

Rosemary

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