Minogue

[Robert_Brenchley]

Has anyone else got buds on theirs?

[Robert_Brenchley]

[galina]

Not here - are you trying to save seed?  I have seen them flower, but it is rare.  How many buds to you have?

[Silverleaf]

Mine aren't flowering either. It would be really good if you could save seeds!

[Robert_Brenchley]

Only one, the biggest plant. If I get any seeds I'll certainly save them. I don't know what the germination rate would be like - I planted Everlasting Onion a good six weeks ago, and have two seedlings up - and I don't know whethr they produce seed or bulbils.

[George the Pigman]

Excuse my ignorance but what is Minogue?

[Silverleaf]

Excuse my ignorance but what is Minogue?

They are a type of "pearl" onion - they multiply by bulb splitting, like shallots.

[galina]

Excuse my ignorance but what is Minogue?

They are a type of "pearl" onion - they multiply by bulb splitting, like shallots.

Full name ' Multiplier Onion Minogue' got mine from Heritage Seed Library at a Potato Day event in Ryton many years ago. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Just to make things awkward, it's really a leek. It has a small white-skinned bulb, and new ones form round the base as offsets, looking like pearls. Hence the name. The Americans call them perennial leeks.

[Silverleaf]

Yes, it's a leek because the leaves are flat, not tubular (or whatever the proper botanical word for that is).

Mine are looking really nice, but I'm waiting for them to multiply up some more before I eat them.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They multiply like mad in the autumn, and stand well over winter. That's probably the time to eat the surplus.

[Silverleaf]

Mine actually seem to have multiplied a fair bit over the spring. :/

[Robert_Brenchley]

They may well do; mine were too small to do much last year. I made a mistake dividing them this spring; a lot didn't have much root, and I probably inhibited them somewhat. Despite that, they've multiplied a bit.

[Silverleaf]

I divided mine this spring too, wasn't sure when was the best time but they were looking like they could do with a bit of wiggle room and I wanted to move them into this year's allium bed to follow the rotation, and free up space for root crops.

I'm going to hold off eating them until I have enough to fill two or three square feet, I think. They are in one square right now.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine are about where you want to be, except most of them are still pretty small. I'm going to give them a while; I've got everlasting onions to see me through the summer, and the Minogue stand better through the winter, so that's when I plan to use them.

[Silverleaf]

I have some other multiplier onions too, a similar amount. They are also looking pretty good.

[Robert_Brenchley]

What are they?

[Silverleaf]

What are they?

Can't remember off the top of my head, but Galina kindly sent them to me along with the Minogues. I'll check when I go out tomorrow because I did add a plant label.

(Sorry for the delay in replying, things have been all over the place this week.)

[galina]

Everlasting non-flowering multiplier aka allium perutile, originally from Goodlife    You both got the same from me.   

[Silverleaf]

Thanks Galina, saves me forgetting to do that tomorrow!

Anyway, I know I divided them all except a few that were too small to split without them breaking, and most have three or four new plants growing now.

[Robert_Brenchley]

My Perutile divided like mad last summer. I now have loads.