Welsh Onion

AKA Japanese or bunching onion, Welsh onions are perennial – they are green virtually all year round. They resemble spring onions but are much more hardy and easy to grow. You can propagate them by division or seed. 

When to Sow: March - Sep 

Harvest: All year round

Requirements: Welsh Onions will grow in most soils and prefer full sun. 

Isolation Required: Yes. Bunching onions can potentially cross with bulb onions/shallots (Allium cepa) so only allow one type of these to go to flower. Allow a few plants to go to flower – 10-20 or more is ideal to keep a good genetic. Isolation for avoiding cross pollination is around 300m So if  you’re growing on an allotment they may cross pollinate with other onions in flower. Leaks and garlic will not cross with bunching onions.

Saving Seed: Rouging – remove any plants that are quick to bolt, and any that get disease or display different characteristics from expected. In the second year allow the strongest of the plants to set flower for seed saving. Allow seed heads to fully dry on plants until seeds are black and then hang in a paper bag to dry before winnowing the seeds from their cases.

Seed Saved by: Omved Gardens