Gumbo Onions

[Rajun Gardener]

Has anybody grown these? I see it's a type of shallot and haven't grown those either. Here's all the information I could find on them. http://masterofhort.com/2014/02/gumbo-onions/

I received a few sets as a start and planted them about 2 weeks ago. They're starting to grow but they look like I should've separated the bulb. The bulbs looked like a normal onion bulb but they're growing like I planted a whole clove of garlic.

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[Ginger2778]

Is it too late to separate them? I would.

[Paquebot]

To not to anything to them. That is normal for a shallot. You plant one bulb and harvest many. If growing for the kitchen, plant the smallest bulbs as they will make the fewest divisions and give larger bulbs. If the large ones are planted back, they produce many more bulbs but smaller. If you did anything wrong, it would be in spacing. Most need a minimum of 8" to 10". You can always thin them and use them like green onions.

Martin

[Rajun Gardener]

Thanks!!

I was out researching and noticed they're normal. I think I'm gonna thin those out and plant them in another container.

[bower]

These look great.. don't forget to post and show us what they are like at harvest time!
What did the sets look like? The shoots look nice and stocky.

[worth1]

They are like a potato or bunching onion.

[Paquebot]

The difference between a shallot and potato onion is just a name. If you have golden shallots, you can call them that one year and yellow potato onions the next. You'd be right both times.

Martin

[ponyexpress]

When do people typically plant their potato/gumbo onions? I planted in the fall like garlic but I also planted a bunch in the spring. I need to verify this but I think the ones I planted in the fall went to seed. While the spring planted ones did not develop seed heads and were bigger.

It seems spring planting is the best to do for this variety.

I'm glad that golden shallot and potato onion are the same name. I thought I had mixed mine up and couldn't tell which is which.

[Paquebot]

I have grown 6 or 7 true shallots/potato onions over the years. Originally I was planting in the fall and them mulching heavy. Lost more than survived in my 4b/5a zone. Now only plant as early as possible, same time as onions. The goldens have just this week flopped and done growing. Only saved the smallest to plant back and it looks like all 15 nests will have at least 5 bulbs.

Martin