We are a collective of New Zealand based hobby gardeners and horticulturalists.
Our seed is hand harvested from regionally adapted plants ideally suited to your region and climate, if unsure when to sow we recommend asking your local experienced gardeners.
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Perennial growing to 50cm. Grows in slowly spreading clumps. Plant has green, hollow, tubular leaves that have a mild onion flavour; used as a garnish, in sauces, dips, stews, casseroles, salads and soups. Can be grown in containers.
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These are hardy perennial onions that are very prolific. They do best in a well-drained, moist garden bed. Bulbils are best planted from March till Sep.
It is thought that the Egyptian Walking tree onion is a F1 clone, a cross between the Walsh and a standard brown onion, but this has proven to be not the case as is 2015 Richard carried out a breeding project by removing the bulbil and hand pollination, 13 seeds were produced in 2015, from those 13 only 5 seedlings germinated. During that summer the four remaining plants grew and divided giving me 23 new base onions. These were then replanted out separately and it is hoped they will produce more seed. After three generations it was noticed that they were 100% identical to the original clone meaning the Egyptian Walking tree onion is a mutation not a cross.
Sold out for the season, hit the watch tab to receive a notification when its back in stock in 2026
Egyptian walking tree onions (Yellow/white strain)
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There are two strains Egyptian walking tree onions, the other being the red coloured type. They are a hardy perennial onion that are very prolific. They do best in a well-drained, moist garden bed. Bulbils are best planted from March till Sep.
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Forms large clumps of thumb size stems which have a stronger leek flavour than standard leek though they are a bit more finicky when harvesting. Best sown in spring forming clumps by late summer/autumn, if left in the ground through the following winter the clumps will form a mass of corns meaning the perennial leek will become permanent and difficult to eradicate. Some gardeners may prefer its feature while others prefer it as a annual vegetable by insuring its harvested before winter.
Germination testing has shown that this strain of leek to have very poor seed germination because of 200+ years of reproducing from clones, over time the cultivar loses its ability to produce seed much like garlic has become. Richard in 2024 imported a strain of perennial leek which has a high germination strike rate, The US and NZ cultivars will be cross pollinated and this should reinvigorate the local strain meaning larger plants and hopefully better. Breeding work will take until 2026, in the mean time hit the watch tap for email updates
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A young and still evolving grex/landrace variety been bred by Richard Watson and another Canadian gardener who have been mixing the seed over the last few years, so its really a collection of 15 standard leeks varieties, some grow wide large stems while others can be very tall, this is because of the strong genetic diversity. Suggested growing method is to aim for a long length white stem of up to 40cm, sow seed late winter/ early spring close enough together aiming for a spacing of 2cm apart, by mid summer the plants should be up to 30cm tall, dig them up trying not to damage the roots too much and place in a bucket with enough water in it to cover the roots. The soil these plants go into needs to be deeply dug over then using a rake or shovel handle poke it down into the soil as deep as 40cm, wriggle it around to make a shaft to which a leek plant is dropped down, then pour a small amount of water down, its just then a matter of insuring that the growth tip can grow up and out of the shaft.
The following cultivars were sown late winter 2024 and the best will be used in crossing with the original Portage line.
King Richard, King Sieg, Autumn Giant, Lincoln, Bulgarian Giant, Blue De Solaize, Carantan, Lancelot, American Flag, and Mechelen Blue Green Winter,
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Bred at Purau Gardens for many years and had adapted well to the coastal climate, this strain of leek may well suit warmer areas of NZ. Its a cross between three well known NZ varieties including Musselburgh. Suggested growing method is to aim for a long length white stem of up to 40cm, sow seed late winter/ early spring close enough together aiming for a spacing of 2cm apart, by mid summer the plants should be up to 30cm tall, dig them up trying not to damage the roots too much and place in a bucket with enough water in it to cover the roots. The soil these plants go into needs to be deeply dug over then using a rake or shovel handle poke it down into the soil as deep as 40cm, wriggle it around to make a shaft to which a leek plant is dropped down, then pour a small amount of water down, its just then a matter of insuring that the growth tip can grow up and out of the shaft
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This is a cross between Pukekoke Long Keeper and Mammoth Improved onion carried out in 2023-24. Second stage of this breeding project will see sowing of this first cross along side original Pukekoke Long Keeper and Mammoth Improved seed to insure good genetic mixing. The idea of this cross was to mix the keep ability of the Pukekoke Long Keeper and the production of the Mammoth Improved.
When growing seed from this early cross expect diversity in type.
The following cultivars were sown late winter for the 2024/25 growing season, these will be added to this genetic mass pollination
New York Early, Fehmel Steig, Franzisco, Maria Nagy's Transylvanian Yellow, Newburg, Sweet Spanish Golorade, Texas Early Grano, Australian Brown, Yellow of Purma, Cipollini, Walla Walla, Utah Yellow Sweet Spanish, Ailsa Craig.
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A super sized onion which is still sweet considering its size. This variety is one grown in the UK for competitions and can grow as heavy as 5 kgs. Seed was imported from the UK 2019 and one generation has been grown by Richard. It is a tasty onion but not a great keeper.
Sow seed early spring in the South Island, North Islanders may be able to sow autumn through winter as well, feedback from customers would be appreciated https://www.mammothonion.co.uk/product/seeds-plants/onion-family/onion/mammoth-improved-onion/
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History knowledge of this onion is limited, was originally given to koanga by a ex-breeder from Yates, unsure it came with a name. The selection work carried out by Richard on this large red onion strain involves, 1, aiming to achieve the longest growing season possible by sowing seed late winter and harvesting when tops start to fall over late summer early autumn. 2, the best of that seasons onions are stored in autumn, some of these onion will grow shoots through winter meaning they are discarded, its the last to start growing a green shoot in early spring are then planted out for flowering/seed. 3, selecting on the shape of onion - Richard is trying to move away from flatter type shape to more of a round or even taller upward torpedo shape. the idea is that less of the onion is sitting on the soil surface.
Sow seed early spring in the South Island, North Islanders may be able to sow autumn through winter as well, feedback from customers would be appreciated
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Red Bunching Onion is an Evergreen red-skinned bunching Onion, grown and used in the same way as white Welsh Onions. Plants grow 70-75cm high, and 1.5-2cm in diameter, and have a mild sweet taste. This variety makes a welcome addition to any salad or culinary display with its bright red attractive stalks. Plant from early spring through to early autumn. Maturity 120 days from direct sowing.
Propagation: Sow seeds directly where to grow in a line or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 7-14days.
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The true bunching onion is a perennial that does not form a bulb. Bunching onions are strong and enduring once established, they can supply a sharp and delicious punch of flavour to your cooking, year after year.
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Spring onions are also known as green onions, scallions or sibies. They tend to have a milder taste than most other onions, they can be eaten either raw in salads or cooked. Sow in Spring through to early Autumn in the South Island or year around in Northern areas. Propagation - Sow seeds directly where to grow in a line or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 7-14 days.
