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I am extremely pleased with my yellow potato onions! They are my pride and joy. I love them! So easy to grow! Exceptional flavor! Exceedingly sustainable.
I knew nothing about potato onions when I started. I simply planted them one fall and harvested them the following summer.
In my humble opinion, every gardener should be growing these beauties. If you grow garlic, you should be able to grow potato onions. They are smaller than commercial onions, so if you require large onions for cooking, because they are easier to peel, then potato onions may not be for you. For me, the rich flavor is worth a little extra peeling. And how many times have you used half of a commercial onion in a recipe and had to store the other half in the fridge, finding it later in a less than desirable and not edible condition? That does not happen with potato onions!
Genetic Variations of Yellow Potato Onions I Currently Grow
Genetic Variations of Yellow Potato Onions I Currently Grow
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
December 2023 email from the Maine Potato Lady: "I had a friend, now deceased, who was into trialing and sourcing things. He had grown the yellow potato onions for me and that’s how I obtained the seed. That's been 15 plus years. I sold Southern Exposure their stock seed."
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Website
Maine Potato Lady Website
Filaree Garlic Farm
"We sell are our own stock that we grow and get from Holland."
Life on Outlaw Farm
October 2024 message: "My sister got them from a gentleman she worked with. She’s had them for 20 plus years. That gentleman has passed on, so no clue where he got his from."
Appalachian Mountain
"They've been grown here in North Carolina for over a hundred years."
Poyntzfield Herb Nursery - Black Isle, Scottish Highlands
September 2024 email from Poyntzfield: "The original potato onions were sourced via an exchange with a gardener 30-40 years ago and they've been grown here since."
Poyntzfield Herb Nursery Website - Note: they only ship to the UK.
"Base 1"
It took me almost a year to get my hands on a dozen of these. For the time being I'll refer to them as "Base 1".
During 2025: if either the Appalachian Mountain or Poyntzfield plants flower I will leave one variety go to seed so as not to have two different genetic variations cross-pollinating, i.e., all other seed stalks in the gardens will be cut, including the bunching onions. If both go to seed I will cultivate Appalachian Mountain seeds during 2025.
Do You Grow Potato Onions?
Do You Grow Potato Onions?
I know nothing about genetics, so it is mere speculation when I say that I suspect the majority of potato onions in the USA are most likely genetically related. I know there are genetic accessions out there in the world that do not exist here in North America.
I am interested in expanding the diversity of my potato onion gene pool and I would be open to buying/trading potato onions bulbs and/or seeds, if they are a genetic variation I currently do not grow.
If you have no interest in trading, but would like to contribute a few bulbs/seeds, I would gladly cover shipping costs.
Contact me: mitch@potatoonionguy.com
I suspect the difference in yields between years 2020/21 and 2022 was planting depth. The first two years I planted the tops 4-5 inches deep. Fall 2022 I planted shallow so the tops were barely covered. Also, with the first two harvests the child bulbs were deep in the soil and I had to dig them up, similar to garlic, whereas the 2023 harvest nested on top of the ground, as they should.
More information about my: Yellow Bulbs | Yellow Seeds
Other Exchanges I've Had about Potato Onion Sources
Other Exchanges I've Had about Potato Onion Sources
Jung Seed Co. JungSeed.com
Email response: "The only information I have on our Potato Onions is that they are sourced from the States of Washington and Oregon."
Note: Washington most likely means Filaree, and I'm currently unaware of any potato onions growers/vendors in Oregon.
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