Success with reds

[Prince of Durham]

My red onions always seem to run to seed (I use setts not seed). Someone told me they have a shorter growing season so need to be planted later. He said plant them in May/ June and they won't reach the going to seed stage.

Is this true or is something else to blame?

[Two_Sheds]

Onions need to put on all their growth before the longest day. If they don't have long enough, they won't grow very big

Don't buy large sets, and make sure you buy heat-treated ones, to deter bolting

Or, grow from seed. It can be started under glass now (see separate Allium thread)

[jacob marley]

From my experience onions that are grown from seed do not bolt to seed as quick as onions grown from sets and get them growing as early in the years as posible....jacob

[PAULW]

Water, Water, Water onions must be kept damp they have only got shallow roots and will dry out very quickly once they dry out they panic in to thinking they are going to die so they reproduce (bolt run to seed) I have my overwintering onions covered in a mulch of straw to help preserve the moisture.

[Two_Sheds]

onions must be kept damp ... I have my overwintering onions covered in a mulch of straw to help preserve the moisture.

That's a good point. I usually weed my onions, like you're told to, and many of them bolt.
Last year I completely forgot about one patch, and it got covered, absolutely smothered, in chickweed.

As it happens, the chickweed acted like a living mulch, and I got a really good crop of onions.

[Snadger]

I aways grow reds from seed!

[Prince of Durham]

Cheers everyone... Looks like seeds are the way forward.

[BUFFS]

dont grow them in loose soil,always firm it after planting,stops wind rock,i find red baron the best of the lot for me up here,seem to bolt less than other strains..seeds or sets.