onions are bolting

[janeyo]

aaaarrgghhhh

This is the third year they have bolted. I know we have been 8 weeks now with no rain and I have had to water them but I must be doing something wrong?!
It is white and red ones that have done it - last year it was just the red. Front and back garden so no pattern to the beds.

I have pickled the ones that have gone - they are small but at least I have salvaged them.

I am thinking of giving up with onions

[Shadylane]

Do you grow from sets or seed? Apparently they're less prone to bolting if you grow from seed. I did seed last year for the first time and I don't think any of em bolted.

[janeyo]

That is interesting as I have always grown from sets.
Maybe this year coming I will try seed

[Aberdeenplotter]

If you want to grow from sets and your onions tend to bolt in your growing conditions, try using heat treated sets.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use heat treated Red Baron and bolting is a very rare problem.

Colin

[Shadylane]

That is interesting as I have always grown from sets.
Maybe this year coming I will try seed

Doooo it. It's so much more fun.

[Two_Sheds]

My autumn sown seed onions came to nothing (they all rotted in the gh). I sowed them too late in the year (because that's what the darn packet said).

This is looking to be my best year for onions. These are my autumn planted sets: Japanese onions | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

They've not had any special treatment and I don't water them

Don't buy sets that are more than 2 cm across and make sure you buy 'heat treated' onion sets - this kills the flower embryo and helps prevent bolting

[Two_Sheds]

I know we have been 8 weeks now with no rain and I have had to water them but I must be doing something wrong?

People always think that heat & drought cause onions to bolt, because that's when they notice it happening. However, the process of bolting started back a couple of months ago

"Cold temperature and day length are the two critical factors that initiate flower stalk development." It's a cold snap in the winter that makes the onion start to develop a flower stalk

source: Onions Bolt - Why Do Onions Bolt - Agricultural Articles

[Florence Fennel]

Those onions are looking good TS! I have only planted a token few red this year as I was so disappointed with the results I had last year. I keep intending to try seed, but you all know about the road to hell.

[Two_Sheds]

I've had poor onion crops for the last 2 or 3 years (small, piddly and with white rot).

This year I've made them a permanent bed which is having the soil gradually replaced with leafmold, grass clippings and garden compost

[StephenH]

I am thinking of giving up with onions

So'm I: shallots are just as good, and much easier. My shallots are looking great; my seed-grown onions are still alive, but that's about all I can say for them.

[gojiberry]

My autumn sown sets have done exceptionally well this year, yes there are a few that have had a flower spike but they are nipped out immediately they are seen and the onion is left to grow on. I know they won't keep for long but being autumn ones they don't have to. The spring sown sets are doing OK as well.

Ian

[WillyNelson]

Interesting. I noticed a flower spike last night when I was watering & thought it was a bit early. Had a few last year as well but I just nipped them out and they seemed to do ok. Maybe when I'm a bit more established I'll try growing from seed...

[Kristen]

I've had a lot more success with Onions since I started growing form seed, rather than sets ... but I read in the forums of people who can grow anything vegetable-wise, but can't grow Onions from seed to save their lives. Dunno what I am doing that is right, but it seems to work for me!