Egyptian Walking Onions: Pros & Cons

In this video I share my experience of growing Egyptian Walking Onions, and explain why I don't think you need too many of them in a garden.
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[@doinacampean9132]

You could sell the bulblets - I paid $12 for 6!!! Most nurseries don't carry them and it's still a novelty item.

[@barrygolden9823]

I give many of them away every year. I have a 4x8 bed of them and if someone wants to try some, I give them a grocery bag of ones that I pull up. That way they get the whole onion to do as they wish with.

[@spir5102]

What I love about the Egyptian walking onion is that you always have any size you need from green onion to bigger onion. In the fall, I take some of the many bulbils and plant them in pots. I bring them into the sunroom and they start to grow and you have fresh onions all winter long.Or, you can go outside and dig up some onions from the ground. They are delicious!

[@auntiepam5649]

I have been growing these fo 15 years. I stay on top of them I use many in the spring and dehydrate and make onion powder.

[@despicabledavidshort3806]

That's my plan. I'm just starting a bed. I bought enough to fill a 4x8 bed. I use alot of onion powder

[@debradiggs7489]

How do you make onion powder

[@nicholasdoliszny7231]

@@debradiggs7489Probably dehydrate and grind in a coffee grinder.

[@juliesyarnshoppe9052]

My favorite use for my Egyptian onions is to pickle the little bulbils in the fall. Rabbits don't like the onions. Since I've had them 10 years now, they make quite big bulbs on the tops of the stalks.

[@rosedoucet2188]

I love to interplant them everywhere in the garden as a pest deterrent. I mostly use the greens.

[@asbjorgvanderveer5050]

These might may a Great Wall of onions just outside the garden fence. Pest deterrent and pretty all at the same time. Just a thought.

[@79PoisonBreaker]

These onions are super hardy too. I pick them in july after they produce the bubles , plant the little bulbs and harvest the rest. My tallest last year got 49" (just over 4ft) tall and reminded me these are also called tree onions for good reason ha ha. Shreded in the food processor and stored in the freezer, the flavor is amazing.🍻🍻 from manitoba 🇨🇦

[@snarkydinkfarm329]

Five years ago I would have not said this but, it feels so good to be back out in the garden getting my hands in the soil. I should have started this adventure many years earlier...

[@maritimegardening4887]

That's great to hear man :)

[@karenyoudenvengeruk2897]

I'm a Newfie and moved here 2016 and started growing ALL my own crops and herbs, in NFLd all I grew was a cold, the weather here in Annapolis is gorgeous, plus we went crazy and bought land off-grid, This past winter was the best ever, debtfree and organic living is beautiful.

[@lindasands1433]

I'm growing them for the first time. I haven't had much luck with bigger onions and the Egyptians are growing well. Totally understand your reasoning.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Great to hear!

[@MageGrayWolf]

I took a small bite of the fresh green of these and was tasting onion for 4 hours later. I want these all over my garden. I can't wait for mine to reproduce. I got mine near the end of last year.

[@gregzeigler3850]

The best thing to do, is replant all the top sets. Plant roughly six inches apart, and come next spring you'll have the largest green onions you've ever seen. I love mine and have had them for years. All parts are edible, but I leave the mother bulb alone.

[@MageGrayWolf]

@@gregzeigler3850 Unforuntately I haven't been able to get them to go to seed.

[@gregzeigler3850]

@@MageGrayWolf I'm sorry to hear that. I planted mine in hard clay soil and the next year they produce bulbs at the top. Might I suggest Red Sun shallots? I got mine from Gurneys. Spring plant and 90 days later you'll have quite a few onions. Eat the small ones, and save the big ones for planting next year. These have an onion taste and can be of good size.

[@moranarevel]

​@@MageGrayWolfare you paying to much attention to them? My vet has them growing in the sandbox the outside cats use to potty. His have multiple topset bubils each fall and they flop over into the parking lot.

[@MageGrayWolf]

@@moranarevel A couple of them finally reproduced.

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

I would eat these during the growing season and save the annual onions for storage.

[@damnyankeesdaughter5427]

If you run green onion through the dehydrator it’s delicious! Can be used as seasoning or in breads etc. Slice the bulb end in half so they dry completely though

[@kenbrown438]

I have a new interest in Egyptian walking onions !!!! Thank you very much for making this video !!!! Lots of usable information !!!!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alisonbutler5945]

I have had such bad luck with growing regular onions I have given up and now grow Egyptian onions exclusively in a raised bed as well as in my flower gardens as a pest deterrent. I cut up the greens and freeze some for winter to throw into soups stews, stir fries. The fresh ones start showing themselves for harvesting in April

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks for sharing

[@gregzeigler3850]

You should try Red Sun shallots. Plant in the spring and pull all up to dry for winter storage(roughly 90 days). These obtain the size of a small to medium onion, with an onion taste. Eat all the small ones and save the largest for replanting, as they create large ones. Each one will produce 4-6 round shallots. I got mine from Gurneys.

[@WingsOfDomesticViolence]

This seems perfect just for tossing in a pot and making a stock for soups

[@maritimegardening4887]

It is

[@bizzybee6342]

We have a really big garden. Our Egyptian walking onion patch is about 5 x 10. We harvest them around the edges of the bed to keep them from spreading. We also share the bulbs with other gardeners every year. Cut off the roots, wash them, chop them up with kitchen shears, and dehydrate them or freeze dry them.

[@terry2346]

Where do you live? Would love to get some here in Minnesota!

[@bizzybee6342]

@@terry2346 Oklahoma

[@Anne--Marie]

Are you selling them?

[@thenextpoetician6328]

I was given a perennial onion a few years ago that moved with me to the garden I'm steadily expanding. It appears that's what they are. I've started transplanting them because the oregano they're next to is plotting to take over as much of the garden as I'll let it, so I'm going to transplant that 2'x5' monster where it can behave in a more respectable manner. I'm only interested in whether plants are tough enough to grow the way I garden, because I don't like to spend much time teaching them what they should know already. :)

[@frederickwarrick1294]

i vacuum freeze the onion part for winter stew and replant the tops for next year... i am working from a strain my grandmother was growing during the 1920s that have been handed down

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I've started growing them this fall and I'm going to intersperse them throughout the garden, I'm hoping that won't be a mistake. I understand the shallot part of the onion gets bigger if you don't let the clumps get to large and they have some good nutrients.

[@janmclellan8963]

I can not grow enough of them as I eat them love them

[@paulahastings7865]

Just watched a video of a lady with those onions and her did grow bigger onions. May depends on where you live!

[@marshhen]

Great video. I would love to grow one or two of these in my tiny garden to give me perennial infinite scallions to eat. I saw a great video by a permaculture orchardist who plants these under his fruit trees for scent masking to confuse insects and continual spreading and covering the ground. They appear to be very economical and I appreciate your candor on advantages/disadvantages.

[@AngelaMelius]

My "yarden" is mostly shady and it's difficult to really have a successful crop of anything. This is why I grow these particular onions. They come up way early in the year before the trees get heavily leafed out. My mother gave me some sets about 15 years ago, and I still have them. I usually neglect them but they still continue to spread and thrive. This year with higher grocery prices, I am babying them and using them heavily as scallions, and they fill all of my need in that respect. I use them daily in all sorts of dishes, from soups, stir-fries, omelets, and even baked bread. I just love these hardy, prolific producers. I also have a forest of lamb's quarters that come up as they readily reseed themselves every year all over my "yarden", and I use them just as I would spinach or even kale.

[@maritimegardening4887]

makes sense

[@mirabilo]

Are Lamb Quarters good to eat?

[@williammurray9688]

Planted fall bulb-lets make great sweet spring onions in the spring. I am in zone 6

[@twinfin8571]

If I lived near you I’d take them in a heart beat. They’re hard to find. I ordered online and can’t wait to get them. They certainly aren’t a pain for me!

[@deborahgrantham7387]

Paying for onions now is a pain now. I live 40 miles from town, I can process these far more quickly than going to get onions.

[@caseykish6763]

I would plant jalapeños pepper plants and cilantro in that bed with the onions. Make it a salsa bed

[@jdp6ofus]

Haha: Idiot proof Egyptian onions... Well so far every single bulb or clump of them I've bought and planted has died here in AL. In the sun, in the shade, in partial sun/shade, in the greenhouse, in the ground, in a pot, in the house. All dead. I've tried to grow yarrow with the same result. I dunno what I'm doing wrong with those. But the rest of the garden usually does well.

[@reyannawynters1800]

Are you around or real close to a chemical plant. I have some fencing that's very close to my neighbors yard. I planted tomato plants last year. They were beautiful plants and should've thrived! But before the week was over, they all died. Come to find out my neighbors sprayed stuff in their yard and right along the fence. where on other side, was my plants. The chemicals killed them.

[@bobbun9630]

You don't say how you went about cultivating them. With that said, I'll note that the bulbs don't keep long at all. They should be shallowly planted as soon as they're received and kept moist until established. Plant them as a cluster rather than breaking the cluster apart. Typically these would be shipped in the fall, and it's fine to plant them then as they're quite hardy. If you are able to obtain them at other times of year, though, they aren't too picky. Like other onions, they do best in full sun.

[@gibsongirl6816]

I am mixed about them as well. I find the greens really tough. Mine are old and huge. I haven't tried frying them. I wonder if they would be better that way? I have a small garden and no fence because I rent. I feel they work great as a deterrent. I dehydrate them in fall and put up for using in stock so I don't waste my onions. I think they would make a great powder. I think as far as fresh onion greens my chives are my favorite and at some point I will get perennial scallions. I saw the seeds in seedsaver's catalog. Thank you for your honest review. Alot only say the best about them.

[@bobbun9630]

My experience is that the leaves are no different than any other onion. The scape (which has the bulbils on top--leaves don't have those) can get woody, though.

[@AcornHillHomestead]

My EWO’s produced nice big bulbs this year. The clump is 30” wide and the onions are 40” tall. The flavor is awesome. The soil where they grow is poor, bakes in the sun, loose and sandy. They are outside my fence in our heavily wooded land with tons of critters and deer. They never bother them. Im loaded with bulbils finally this year and am going to plant them. Bulbils are also supposedly delicious in a salad.

[@tobruz]

My “deer” wife won’t touch onions…

[@haroldnicholos7436]

I grow them in my garden for my restaurant they're fantastic I grow as much as I can I get two big crops one in the spring and one in the fall and they spread like crazy and grow in almost anything

[@blackwolf073]

I've recently heard of these and love the fact that they multiply so well. I'd like to track some of these down. Im thinking these would be great at taking rodent pressure off of young plants or seedlings. Any thoughts on that? Thanks. Enjoyed the video and info.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I don't think they have any effect on rodent pressure. No effect in my garden anyway :)

[@blackwolf073]

@@maritimegardening4887 thanks for the response. Not the response I wanted, lol. But the knowledge and experience is appreciated. I may experiment with it when I can find some. Here's to a good growing season my fellow Blue Noser.😎👍

[@tkin5265]

I just ordered some and they're arriving Thursday. Is it too late to get them in the ground? We haven't had a frost yet n no frosts in the 7 day forecast..

[@maritimegardening4887]

go for it - what have you got to lose!

[@tkin5265]

@@maritimegardening4887 should I cover them with a mulch (if so how thick) ...will they be able to poke thru like garlic?

[@franksinatra1070]

I may give them a try outside my fence at some point. Seems like a nice thing to have around if you like green onions.

[@terry2346]

That plot is WAY too small for corn. You need at least 12 ft by 12 ft to get a moderate corn harvest. The bigger the better. And that is with planting on a 12 inch grid as I learned from Crockett's Victory garden a long time ago.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I think it's just right for the amount of corn that I want. I like to eat it fresh, and with a 4x8 plot you get all the corn you can handle in my experience.

[@justsomeguy6133]

Unfortunately, the Allium Leaf Miner really messes up the idea of something that should be close to “plant it and leave it”. I basically I have to cover my onions, garlic, and shallots, with superfine netting or row cover. I certainly could do that with Egyptian walking onions, the hassle of having to do that twice a year (for the spring and fall emergence seasons) means it with that much hassle, you might as well just plant annual alliums.

[@Warrior-In-the-Garden]

Been thinking about these. I love the amount of thought that goes into what you do. Did you grow from seed or buy a start?

[@maritimegardening4887]

There's really no seed - you either move a plant, or break up the bulbils in the fall and plant them

[@stonedapefarmer]

Was just able to snag a good sized bunch at a local plant swap this afternoon. Filling in around a bunch of fruit trees and bushes and such. Hoping an excessive amount of alliums will help discourage any would-be grazers from doing any significant damage.

[@ZE308AC]

I wishmy plants can look like your but they are small in my garden.

[@michaellippmann4474]

Hi Greg...I would stop by and grab some free onions but your neighborhood is a bit of a drive for me! 🤣 Great video - Thanks for doing it and hope that Mrs Maritime Gardener is feeling better soon ! Have a great day. Mike 🇨🇦 🍁 👍

[@maritimegardening4887]

She's all good now thanks :)

[@trollforge]

Where abouts are you Mike, If you are anywhere near me, I can hook you up.

[@michaellippmann4474]

@@trollforge Hi I am in SW Ontario South of Windsor in a small town - Kingsville. Where would you be located?? Thank you Mike

[@trollforge]

@@michaellippmann4474 I am up about half way between Ottawa and Montreal just south of the Ottawa River. Ever have call to go to Ottawa?

[@tryingagain14]

haven't heard that quote. I've used normal is overrated or abnormal is the new normal

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

If you weren't cooking for a family, mostly just yourself, or two would it be more worth it to grow these over large onions? Maybe in greater ratio?

[@debbiej.2168]

I think so, but it takes a while for the bulbs to get bigger.

[@bobbun9630]

Unicorns ate all my onions! All joking aside, I cook with green onions almost daily. I got these last year and anticipate multiplying them quite a bit and drying them. Assuming that they are at least competitive with welsh onions for production. I have those, too.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Sounds great!

[@phyconinga]

Greg I tried to find Egyptian walking onions but the places I order from never had them this year or last. Instead I found some dutch shallots, which I guess are similar to Egyptian walking onions in that they are perennial, have a onion/garlic flavor but don't grow bulbils, they grow multiple small/medium onion bulbs which are very good for long term storage.

[@debbiej.2168]

I got in on ebay.

[@grantraynard]

I was waiting to see where you would move them

[@calabogierusticfarmmarket387]

Hi there Mike here from Calabogie Rustic Farm in Calabogie Ont. We have started a permaculture market garden here and I am looking for some egyptian walking onions. Wondering if you might have a source for some seeds? I'm having a real hard time trying to find them. Thanks

[@maritimegardening4887]

I got mine from a friend - sorry.

[@calabogierusticfarmmarket387]

@@maritimegardening4887 no worries I'll keep looking thanks.

[@denesestanley7011]

Thank you for this video. I would love to plant some. Do you know if Home Depot or Lowes sell these? Or please advise where I may purchase some in the USA. Thank you.

[@maritimegardening4887]

My advice would be to ask around with local garden groups - including facebook groups. They are generally not sold at major chains.

[@denesestanley7011]

Thanks. I just ordered and received some bulbs . In Zone 7… may I plant them now. Thank you

[@barrygolden9823]

Plant away!!! I have a bed of these and the get zero maintenance except for pulling weeds. In the fall I just leave the onions in the ground. In the spring they grow faster than my grass!!! Same bed of onions for about 10yrs now and they come back every year...

[@nicholasdoliszny7231]

@@denesestanley7011 Where did you order from please? I only see seeds and reviews say they don’t sprout.

[@AndersonsprairieviewfarmAnders]

Onions make a great pest deterrent, rabbits voles and insects .

[@maritimegardening4887]

People say that - but I've never found it to be the case.

[@AndersonsprairieviewfarmAnders]

@@maritimegardening4887 I believe it takes a lot of them to do it.

[@pjd2709]

Where can you get them from, I would love to grow them too! Thank you for sharing.

[@reyannawynters1800]

Baker Creek has some. I looked and looked and it was the only place that had them online. Couldn't find them in my local area either

[@pjd2709]

@@reyannawynters1800 Thank you so much Reyanna I'll be looking on the website!

[@bobbun9630]

Mine came from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They only ship in the fall, though.

[@justjoanish]

Very timely. I just had a co-worker offer me some of these, and I've been wanting to try them to expand my perennials but don't have knowledge of them. Thank you.

[@brendachapman4559]

I love my walking onions. I leave them in the ground until I need them and In the fall I pick a few and freeze them. I got a second hand sink at a yard sale and we built a table to put it in and use the water hose to clean them up before I take them in. I guess you could just use the water hose though to get the extra dirt off. Much Love and Blessings

[@Monkchip]

Are those onions the same as bunching onions? I have seeds for the bunching kind.

[@Tradesmansaunt]

No they aren't

[@lamprinedatsika6292]

Good luck!!!!!