There aren’t many perennial vegetables that thrive in Vermont’s climate, but if you’re looking for one try the Egyptian walking onion.
The Egyptian walking onion is one of first plants to grow in spring, sprouting green shoots straight up that are a few feet tall. At the top, clusters of topset bulbs form and eventually grow into small onions.
If you don't harvest the topsets, the weight of these bulblets will bend the stalk down to the ground a few feet away from the plant. They can root and seem to move across your garden this way, hence the name walking onion.
When planting Egyptian walking onions make sure to use well-drained, light, loamy soil. To harvest, collect the green shoots in spring like chives, but leave some to form topset bulbs. Take the small topsets in late summer.
The bulbs in the ground are shallot size and will divide. Harvest some of these, but leave some for next year's plants. The topsets and in-ground bulbs have a spicy onion flavor, great for roasting and pickling.
This week's tip: Cut back leggy shoots of annual flowers growing in your windowsill such as geranium and fuchsia. This will stimulate new, bushier growth and better flowering in spring.
