How to Use Egyptian Walking Onion Topsets to Expand a Bed Without Reseeding

As commonly referred to by their many names, walking onions, Medusa onions or topset onions produce bulbils which root when they touch the ground – providing you with free expansion without paying for seeds! First prepare your bed by clearing away rocks and leveling, ensuring there are no low spots or dramatic slopes in it.

1. Soil Preparation

Egyptian walking onions make an exciting and fascinating addition to any garden, being easily managed like chives but producing more than just greenery. Instead of producing flowers and seeds like other plants do, Egyptian walking onions produce topsets – clusters of onion bulblets at the top of their stalk that eventually collapse from their growing weight and fall to the ground, taking root and growing new plants – giving the variety its name: walking onions!

Egyptian walking onions should be planted as soon as their topsets are ready to harvest, typically midsummer but also fall can work. Make sure the soil drains well, as these varieties of onion do not thrive under wet or soggy conditions.

These perennial onions require minimal care to remain in good condition, although thrips and slugs must be controlled to keep clumps from becoming overcrowded. Repotting should occur periodically to reduce this overcrowding issue.

As your topsets mature, they will produce small shallot-like onions which you can harvest to enjoy eating, sharing or replanting. Later in summer and autumn you can harvest all leafstalks when they have dried up and turned brown – taking care to pick off any topsets that fall on the ground to avoid self-sowing!

2. Planting Time

Egyptian Walking Onions are one of the easiest plants to grow and care for. Hardy enough to withstand temperatures down to -24degF, they thrive in USDA Zones 3-9. These bulbs produce clusters of onion bulblets instead of flowers or seeds and eventually fall over from their weight to root and form new plants on the ground below them resembling small shallots but with stronger flavors.

Mid to late summer and autumn are prime seasons to harvest top sets for eating as green onions or replanting, when their leaf stalk has dried and turned brown. If left in the ground for another year, these bulbs may form self-sowing clumps which produce smaller onions bulbs which can then be harvested both as edible bulbs as well as being planted.

If you plan to replant the clumps, harvest them as soon as they’re ready in spring of the following year and plant in containers; this gives you greater control over soil conditions and spacing while shielding you from gophers and other soil pests that tend to target bulbs in the ground. After harvesting, bulbs need to cure in a cool, dark place for several weeks after being harvested.

3. Watering

Walking onions are perennial plants with easy cultivation that take their name from their means of procreation: instead of producing flowers or seeds, walking onions produce topsets at their base that eventually pull over and fall to the ground where they root; their stalks – known as scapes – are edible while any underdeveloped bulbs can be eaten as greens; each stalk then can produce additional topsets to continue the cycle of reproduction.

Plant your onion sets or bulbils in fall for optimal results; however, spring will also work. When planting bulbs or onion sets it is essential to use loose, rich soil with a high organic content and good drainage; to avoid bulb rot add sand or perlite for aeration if your soil is clay-like; an ideal container would be a raised bed or half barrel; however potting mix works just as effectively in planters filled with soil.

Onion plants need full sun to thrive; however, some shade is acceptable. While they do not enjoy waterlogged soil, regular moisture is needed to remain lush and healthy. Applying a balanced organic fertilizer early in the season helps promote vigorous growth; mulching the garden bed with straw or shredded leaves helps retain moisture and suppress weeds; it is best to place walking onions away from other alliums that compete for nutrients while also attracting pests; they tolerate the fungus that causes juglone toxicity, making them suitable for planting near black walnut trees.

4. Harvesting

Egyptian Walking Onions (Allium x proliferum) are cold-hardy and drought-tolerant plants, making them great additions to edible or permaculture landscapes. As their roots take some time to establish, planting these bulbs during late fall or early spring is recommended for maximum success.

Once established, these plants make an excellent companion for fruit trees and bushes as a natural deterrent against vermin, deer, and rabbits. They prefer full sun over most other root vegetables, with regular applications of organic compost or aged manures providing essential nutrition. Their heavy leaves require well-draining soil – amend clay soil with sand or perlite to improve airflow for best results.

As Egyptian Walking Onions mature, their greens become taller and develop small bulbets at their top. Once this cluster forms, “walking” occurs: as their tops become heavier they bend down towards the ground to root and start new onion plants – an endless cycle if left to their own devices! Egyptian Walking Onions continue this cycle for years!

To prevent overcrowding, harvest and divide onion clumps every 2-3 years either in fall or spring to prevent the spread of fungal diseases. For optimal results, give plants enough space and use organic fertilizers with low nitrogen formulas (preferably low nitrogen fertilizer formulas like Low Nitrogen Formulas). Furthermore, mulch such as straw or leaves is an effective way to regulate soil temperature while suppressing weeds.