Potato Onion 2023 Report
This page documents the 2023 results of my ongoing Potato Onion project. This project is an attempt to breed a locally adapted variety of onion that reproduces primarily via bulbs but which will also reliably set seed. You can read the backstory, motivations and goals on the Potato Onion project homepage. Note: Click on any image to enlarge it.2023 - Autumn Results
In the early spring of 2023 the category 3 Potato Onions from the 2022 planting were separated and placed in two locations - outdoors in
a garden area and in a greenhouse bed. All of these onions had split the previous summer and any that did not make it through
the winter in good shape in an unheated outbuilding were culled.
The onions at the end of the 2023 season are shown below (click on any pic to enlarge).
As you can see, each onion in the above pictures is (or was) joined at the base in doubles or triples. Each group grew from a single bulb
planted at the beginning of the season. The largest of them is about 2.5 inches (60mm) in diameter.
Another interesting thing is
that most of these onions set seed this year (which I have saved) and yet still produced, in many cases, a worthwhile onion.
This is very unusual for a biennial like cultivated onions which typically die after they set seed and the onion bulb itself
typically becomes a useless squishy shell. Maybe they are perennial - that would be cool. Time will tell.
Not shown is the small pile of singles which did not split and these will go back into the Long Keeping Onion line. This brings up an
important point - there many Potato Onion style genes in the Long Keeping Onion project and, hence, selection from that line
could supply all of the new Category 1 and Category 2 stock in previous years. This situation cannot continue as the two projects
have different goals. This was a large
factor in the decision to let the Potato Onions set seed this year. Going forward, the two lines will diverge. Now that there is
a base of reasonable Potato Onions to work with, larger, non-Potato
Onions, will be crossed in and the Potato Onion line will become distinct from the Long Keeping Onions.
Interestingly, one of the doubles produced a seed head with bulbils (like an Egyptian Walking Onion). I do have a few of those
around so maybe they crossed in at some point or maybe it is a natural mutation. I think the latter is more likely because the seed
head on the other bulb in the double did not have these.
If this is the case, and the bulbils breed true, I then have a very easy way to increase the numbers of that particular potato
onion variety. It wasn't a bad looking onion to be fair so I am quite pleased about this.
Postscript: Sadly, the bulbils did not make it through the 2023-2024 winter. This was mostly due to operator error - I am very annoyed at myself for this.
As you can see, each onion in the above pictures is (or was) joined at the base in doubles or triples. Each group grew from a single bulb
planted at the beginning of the season. The largest of them is about 2.5 inches (60mm) in diameter.
Another interesting thing is
that most of these onions set seed this year (which I have saved) and yet still produced, in many cases, a worthwhile onion.
This is very unusual for a biennial like cultivated onions which typically die after they set seed and the onion bulb itself
typically becomes a useless squishy shell. Maybe they are perennial - that would be cool. Time will tell.
Not shown is the small pile of singles which did not split and these will go back into the Long Keeping Onion line. This brings up an
important point - there many Potato Onion style genes in the Long Keeping Onion project and, hence, selection from that line
could supply all of the new Category 1 and Category 2 stock in previous years. This situation cannot continue as the two projects
have different goals. This was a large
factor in the decision to let the Potato Onions set seed this year. Going forward, the two lines will diverge. Now that there is
a base of reasonable Potato Onions to work with, larger, non-Potato
Onions, will be crossed in and the Potato Onion line will become distinct from the Long Keeping Onions.
Interestingly, one of the doubles produced a seed head with bulbils (like an Egyptian Walking Onion). I do have a few of those
around so maybe they crossed in at some point or maybe it is a natural mutation. I think the latter is more likely because the seed
head on the other bulb in the double did not have these.
If this is the case, and the bulbils breed true, I then have a very easy way to increase the numbers of that particular potato
onion variety. It wasn't a bad looking onion to be fair so I am quite pleased about this.
Postscript: Sadly, the bulbils did not make it through the 2023-2024 winter. This was mostly due to operator error - I am very annoyed at myself for this.