Potato/Multiplier Onion “Garnet Mountain”

The potato onion (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) is a member of the onion family.   It reproduces  by division of bulbs, rather than by seed (though it does produce seed some years).  They are also known as nesting onions or multiplier onions.  Potato onions are closely related to shallots, but are larger and store and use more like an onion.  One onion can be planted and it will produce 3-8 onions after one growing season in a big clump, hence the name “potato” or “multiplier” onion.  This variety is “Garnet Mountain” and give nice medium size red onions.  It comes in a 4×6 pot  and the plant is quite established and ready to go into the ground.

We received these mother bulbs from Kelly Winterton in Utah and have been growing them out and potting them up.  This is a great perennial type storage onion, you can harvest a majority of the bulbs and then mulch and the remaining ones will resprout the following season and give you another crop of small to medium sized storage onions.  A lot of the varieties have been lost over time, but new breeding and a resurgence of interest driven by Kelly and many others has breathed new life into this crop.