Harvesting the topsets

Topsets are ready to harvest in late summer. Here in eastern Washington (zone 5) the topsets have fully ripened in August. They have turned a reddish-marroon color and the stalks have dried to a golden tan color. Many stalks have bent over to the ground. The clusters of topsets that hit the ground wait for optimal conditions to take root. Some stalks remain upright with topset still in the air.

To harvest the topsets, simply pluck them from the stalks and pick them up from the ground if you do not want them to grow. Your topsets are now ready to be eaten, planted, shared, or stored. For storage, keep the topsets in their cluster ball form - do not break them apart. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place, with plenty of air flow where they will remain dormant until planting time.

Harvesting the leaves

The green leaves may be harvested whenever you see them on the plant. Cut one or two leaves from each plant as needed. Do not cut all the leaves from a single plant because the leaves are needed to generate food for the bulb. Avoid cutting the stalk that carries the topsets. Leaves will naturally die back in late summer as the plant's energy is focused on growing topsets. After the topsets mature, the ground bulb will divide and grow a new flush of tender green leaves in the fall. The scallion-like leaves of the white topset variety will persist through the winter if temperatures stay above 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Even the little leaves on the topsets may be harvested as well.

Harvesting the bulbs in the ground

The ground bulbs may be harvested in late summer or fall. These bulbs are usually similar in size and shape to shallots. When harvesting, it is wise to leave some bulbs in the soil to ensure next year’s growth. Larger bulbs can be produced by removing the topset stalk early, before they start developing. This allows the plant to direct its energy downward into the bulb rather than upward into the topsets. Keeping clumps thinned to about two to eight plants also encourages larger bulb size. If clumps are left undivided for several years, many small bulbs will form instead of fewer large ones.

Harvesting the ground bulb obviously removes the entire plant. Be sure to replace it with topsets or bulb divisions so you can maintain the desired size of your Egyptian Walking Onion patch.