Rhubarb Victoria 2 organic plants

The rocambole, or perpetual onion, is certainly the most unusual onion. Like the rocambole, this ancient vegetable offers groups of 4 to 12 small, sprawling bulbs, coppery pink when ripe, with a delicious sweet onion flavor, in addition to its beautiful bulbs under the soil.

Perennial and very hardy, rocambole onion plants are easy to grow in any vegetable garden, as well as in pots or tubs.

How to grow the Rocambole onion?

Rocambole can thrive in a wide range of conditions, but prefers light, cool, well-drained soil, enriched the previous year, and sunny exposure.

Transplant rocambole onions in early autumn or spring, every 20 to 30 cm in rows 40 cm apart.

Hoe to keep the soil clean during cultivation, cut the plants back in autumn to 5 cm above ground level, and renew the mother plants every 3 to 4 years. This cold- and drought-tolerant, disease-resistant onion requires no further maintenance.

Onion consumption

All parts of the rocambole onion are edible:

• its long stems and young leaves can be used like chives;
• its aerial bulbils, with a shallot-like taste, are eaten like small onions;
• its underground bulbs are prepared in the same way as cultivated onions.

When to harvest rocket onions?

Once established, rocambole onions can be harvested before flowering, as and when required. Cut off the outermost stems with a chisel, taking care not to remove too many at a time, as this may compromise the development of the bulbils.

Aerial bulblets are harvested after flowering, generally from July to September. They can be eaten immediately, or stored under cover throughout the winter.

Underground bulbs can be picked in late summer. However, once uprooted, they won't produce in subsequent years. So it's best to wait at least a year to renew the crop before harvesting.

Multiplying rocket onions

In their natural state, rocambole onions produce small bulbs at the top of their stems during the summer. If they are not harvested, they fall off at the foot of the plant, giving rise to a new plant. As a result, the rocambole onion multiplies very easily through its aerial bulbils:

• Handpick aerial bulblets at the end of summer;
• spread the small bulbs out in a tray or crate and place in a well-ventilated, dark place to dry;
• plant the bulbs in autumn, in October or November, or in spring, in February or March, 3 cm deep.

What companion plants should I choose for my rocket onion plants?

In the vegetable garden, the rocket onion is a good neighbor for carrots, celery, tomatoes and spinach. It should be kept away from leguminous crops such as beans, peas and broad beans.

Shipment and delivery of Onion rocambole plants

Orders are dispatched every Monday.

• Shipment to France only.
• Shipping cartons designed for optimum protection of plants.
• Free shipping does not apply to plants.