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alan8_gw

bunching onions

alan8
14 years ago

I have a clump? of bunching onions in my garden that someone gave me back in the spring. I'm not sure what to do with them. Should I seperate them and plant them along the edge of my garden? When should I do this in South Alabama?

And one more thing...how are these onions used? Do you eat the bulbs and the tops?

Thanks

Comments (6)

  • plantslayer
    14 years ago

    If the onions are a clump that split from a single planting, it would probably be best to separate them and space them out a bit. They are not too demanding in terms of sunlight or soil quality.

    Bunching onions pretty much do not bulb, and are eaten as scallions. You can make the stems (the white part of the stem) longer by heaping soil around them. The can be grown in early fall for Spring harvest, or in Spring for summer harvest. Many kinds will divide into multiple stems per planting, which can be separated and re-planted as described above.

    They are a pretty easy crop to grow in my experience... I have seen any pests attack mine, and they can survive pretty bad weather. In China I saw people growing some varieties in very shallow tubs just a few inches deep. Also, since you don't have to worry about them bulbing or whatever, you can just harvest them whenever you want to, although onions harvested in summer can get pretty spicy.

  • kr222
    14 years ago

    Alan8, I'm glad you asked this question, because this is a question of mine as well. I've been growing bunching onions, but I'm not sure which parts to eat either. Can anyone answer these questions as well?
    Do you eat just the white part or the green stalks as well? I haven't tasted them yet. Do they taste like....onions?
    Thanks!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Garden

  • kmatcek
    14 years ago

    You eat them just like you would spring onion. Every bit of it is edible. I eat everything but the roots.

  • plantslayer
    14 years ago

    They're not just _like_ spring onions, they _are_ spring onions. Eat the whole thing, discarding any layers or leaf bits that are dry and tough.

  • promethean_spark
    14 years ago

    'Bunching onions' are not identical to 'spring onions'. Spring onions are regular bulb onions that are harvested before they bulb. Bunching onions never make a bulb, but do create more offsets than bulb onions.

    If you look at the part of the plant where it turns from green to white, if it's shaped like a 'D' then it's a spring onion and if it's round it's a bunching onion.

    Bunching onions have a milder flavor and are more suited to uncooked applications than spring onions.

  • plantslayer
    14 years ago

    I stand corrected. I guess I was thrown off because recipes seem to use them interchangeably. :)

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