Are onions meant to flower?

[eskymo]

Hey all

I was walking past my onions tonight on my way back in for a cup of tea and noticed that a few of them have little buds at the top of their stalks - not disimilar to chives to be honest. Are they meant to do that or does that means they've bolted/gone to seed or whatever?

[bramble]

Hi Eskymo, no onions are not meant to flower. They can also develop what is called "thick neck" You will notice this as the stem of the onion wont bend over and will feel and look like a hollow tube. These onions are not suitable for long-term storing and should be used up first.Just take the seed head off as theres nothing else that can be done. Hope this is some help.
Gabrielle.

[eskymo]

I'll remove them tomorrow...does this mean the ones with seed heads are not edible, or should I pull them up now as small onions?

Why do they develop seed heads?

[Lesley Jay]

Eskymo just break off the flower head as Bramble has said. The onions that have flowered are not suitable for storage and need to be used first when you lift them. They will still grow so leave them in the ground until they are ready but you could lift some of the ones that have flowered early if you need them. They are perfectly edible. As to why they flowered. Some causes are planting in a cold spring, planting too early or planting in loose soil.

[SueA]

Just noticed today that a couple of my red onions have bolted so I've pinched the flower buds off. They tend not to get much bigger but taste just as nice. Red onions tend to bolt more than normal & it's usually due to hot weather & not enough water. With mine it's probably that I left them for a week when I went on holiday & it was boiling hot! Just snap their heads off Eskymo!

[multiveg]

You could let a couple of them flower - bees like them. Heard somewhere on radio that bees are in decline which would affect beans and other bee-pollinated veggies.

[eskymo]

I snapped their heads off, but will pull them up soon.

[jxm]

leave them in the ground until they are ready

Probably a silly question but, how do you know when they're ready?

I had a sprouting onion so I chucked it in a pot to see what would happen - it grew some pretty big stalks, which have got fat in the middle, then they have grown the big seed pods on the top, then in the last week they have all collapsed outwards (under their own weight?)

[Lesley Jay]

The long green leaves on the onions fall over and begin to turn yellow. Leave them in the ground for a couple of weeks and then dig them up. Spread them out to dry and then they are ready to store.

[Sunbeam]

Some of mine have flowered too - I as going to ask the same question, Eskymo, but you beat me too it!

[Peter]

That is why sets are heat treated, to "prevent" bolting.

For prevent read reduce the incidence of.

Overwintering onions, which I grow quite a few of are somewhat more prone to bolting.

[nick the grief]

you can replant onions & save your own seed as I do with my Kelsae & mammoth, they look quite decorative with a huge white starry globe. Leeks are even better cos they are puple!