Potato Onion SEEDS

Potato Onion SEEDS - Allium cepa var. aggregatum - Andy's Green Mountain Multiplier

Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Andy's Green Mountain Multiplier

Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun
Germination Tested November 15, 2023: 100%

Approximately 70 seeds per packet

$5.00 CAD

Sale Sold out

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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.

Plant these seeds once, then keep some of the onions for replanting next year. In their first year, these seeds will grow into a single onion. Harvest them once the tops die back around August. Store them inside over winter. Eat the biggest onions, and replant the smallest ones in spring. Generally, if you plant larger onions, they will multiply into many smaller onions. If you plant smaller onions, they will multiply into larger, fewer onions.

If you want to produce seeds, leave the onions in the ground overwinter, and they are more likely to flower. Many potato onion varieties only flower very rarely (if you can find them for sale at all!), so can only be propagated by replanting the onions. This variety is nice because many of them flower readily, which enables you to quickly establish a large patch of onions.

The Andy's Green Mountain Multiplier "variety" is a cross between "Green Mountain Multiplier" (bred by Kelly Winterton of Utah) and a Yellow Potato Onion (cross made by Andy Hahn in Colorado). The resulting seeds are diverse- a range of colours, sizes (some allegedly as large as a grocery store onion!), and traits. So each seed in this mix could result in a new potato onion variety. We need more backyard breeders developing vegetable varieties that are regionally-adapted. There's been a huge loss of diversity in heirloom potato onion varieties over the years. Let's bring it back!! Simply save onions from your favourite plants for planting again next year- and you've got your own variety.

Some traits I am focussing on in different breeding lines include larger and more numerous onions per plant, long storage, winter hardiness, and seldom-flowering.

Hardy to zone 4 if you want to leave the bulbs in the ground over winter to perennialize. Can probably be grown in colder zones if you make sure to bring all the bulbs inside for winter, which most growers do anyway.

Growing Instructions

Sow seeds shallowly indoors in January or February. I like to sow my onions in deep trays so they have enough soil to grow for a few months. Plant outside once they are a few inches tall and harsh frosts have passed. Plant about 6-12 inches apart. Harvest bulbs when their tops have flopped over and turned brown. You can reduce watering at this time as well. Bring them inside and store in a well-ventilated dark 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).

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.