Snowy Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Because I had the beginnings of a very pretty allotment! If not - what do I do with them? Although the question is really a bit late as I snipped all the flower heads off Will I still get onions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Mine did this the year before last Snowy - so annoying! I think you are meant to snip the heads off and pull them but im not 100% sure so best wait till a more experienced person comes along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I snip off any flower head as soon as I see it emerging. The onion will still grow a bit more but it will have a thibk neck and won't store very well so just use those first. They are the ones i use green - straight from the garden without lifting and drying. Some onions are more susceptible than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I agree with Lesley - you will need to use up the onions that have flowered first - or freeze them when you harvest them. I found the red onions to be the worst offenders here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 They aren't any bigger than when I planted them! Funnily enough the red onions are OK, it was the two kinds of brown onions that had flowered. Although the flowers were only very tiny buds, so hopefully they might grow a bit bigger yet! What causes bolting? Could it be because they didn't get much water when they were first planted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Possibly, along with the hot dry weather just recently - they just want to go to seed. The chives were faster this year to flower. But it seems like everything is in a rush to get the summer over and done with after a slow start. They are hungry things, so give them a feed too. 2 lots of my winter onions are very slow, whereas the other one is all leafy and no bulb. Can't win sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 I know the stem and bud of a shallot can be eaten. Often used in Thailand. Lovely stir fried with garlic. Does anyone know if onion flowers stems can be eaten? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Does anyone know if onion flowers stems can be eaten? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 My red onions have bolted again this year, not all of them but quite a few. The rest are all growing nicely. I must remember to take the buds off. I have an afternoon of onion weeding panned, I did about a third of them a couple of days ago and it took me nearly 2 hours We do grow a lot of onions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew and Alan Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 yeah, cut the flowers off as soon as they appear or the plant will put more energy in to flowering than growing a bigger onion bulb. u can eat the flowers but are nice once fully open. the stalk is tough but edible too. we got side tracked with friends staying this yr and lots of our onions went to flower, so have pulled them all up and planted new ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Don't forget to leave one or two, though, since that'll allow you to harvest some onion seed for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I have to say that the onion seed (that actually bothered to germinate) has done quite well so far compared to sets. I think I will try again with seed next year. Although the Japanese winter onion sets have done really well - the reds I won't ever bother with again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 normally expect to lose about 50% of red onions from sets to bolting best to grow red onions from seed bolting early is more often than not due to lack of water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I may have a go with seed next year because red onions drive me mad. How long do they take to grow, because spring onions take forever. I have been using red spring onions that were sown last spring this year. We have tried taking the flowers off this year to see if they will continue to grow a bit more. We just use the bolted ones first usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Well the only onion seeds that did well were Heritage seed. The others were sporadic and weedy and took forever. The Heritage ones have been planted with the toms and look really healthy, although no bulb at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 How long do they take to grow, because spring onions take forever. they don't take much longer than sets. mine will need to be picked or covered by September becauce of the Allium leaf miner also meens I don't plant Witsun any ealier they have to be covered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
