Bolting onions

[Suky]

Bolting is going to seed. ie: forming a flower spike thus ending the growth of the bulb in onions. Some of mine are doing it too so will pull them for use.

[Two_Sheds]

my red onions are bolting...What would happen if i left them to grow more?

The flower spike would get bigger and bigger, then you'll get a lovely big fluffy flower on it, and before you can collect the seed the gales will knock it flat (guess who this has happened to?)

[thepopela]

The flower spike would get bigger and bigger, then you'll get a lovely big fluffy flower on it, and before you can collect the seed the gales will knock it flat (guess who this has happened to?)

Lol, Cheers two sheds, yeah i get that bit, but what would happen to the onion bulb then? Why dig them up first? Does the onion then die and rot? (sorry for the stupid question)

[Potstubsdustbins]

Suky I don't think I put that very well us old hands all know what bolting is. I was thinking more of people new to gardening who may have a small onion with lots of green growth didn't want them to mistake that for bolting.

If you see what I am getting at.

Colin

[Mr Salty]

Colin makes a good point, I'm a complete newb to this and I planted an onion set about a month ago I picked up cheap somewhere. About half now have green shoots protruding upwards, does this mean they have bolted and if so are they headed to the big fruit bowl in the sky?

Should a healthy crop have no green shoots at all?

[Shadylane]

No, don't worry, green shoots are fine, bolting is when they send up a flower stalk. It looks very different, you'll know when you see it. It has like a tear drop shaped bulb thingy on top which will eventually swell and open up into a flower. I think you can just nip them off and allow the bulb to keep growing - I've done this but not sure how much more they'll grow - but then you have to use them first cos they won't store.

[Two_Sheds]

what would happen to the onion bulb then?

When a plant bolts, it takes all the energy from the bulb and sends it to the flower - leaving the bit you want to be eating tough & orrible

[rainbowminx]

Phew! I'm not alone. Went to the lottie today after a week away and all of my onions have long flower stalks on. Should I just chop the top part with the flower off, or the whole flower stalk? Can you eat the flower stalk? I understand they don't store well, but are they OK to leave in the ground to pull as you need them?

Thanks!

[Shadylane]

Two seasons ago I left them in and nipped the tip off. You don't wanna eat the flower stalk. Remove it when you chop it up for cooking.

[Alison]

My spring sown sets are OK (although still rather small) but I find that if you plant too early then they'll bolt for England (or wherever you live) at the moment but I nipped a couple of flower buds off the autumn ones the other day. At least they're swelling quite well but I'd like a bit more on them before I pull them - got fed up with small main crop onions last year as most of mine were pathetic after the drought in June

[Potstubsdustbins]

Must admit to a little cheating I use heat treated sets which helps prevent bolting plus they are delivered at the right time for planting.

Colin

[Chef_uk]

Spoke to early. Cut off a few tonight that had bolted Both overwintering ones and spring ones.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Grrh, who started this thread? It's given one of my over wintering onions the idea that it is expected to bolt. Probably the start of many but after the severe winter we had with extreme frosts I suppose it's not unexpected. They are bred to overwinter but there is a limit to what they can bear without becoming stressed.

[Alison]

Grrh, who started this thread? It's given one of my over wintering onions the idea that it is expected to bolt. Probably the start of many but after the severe winter we had with extreme frosts I suppose it's not unexpected. They are bred to overwinter but there is a limit to what they can bear without becoming stressed.

I think it's the stupidly hot April that did for mine, they thought it was summer already

[Croila]

I've put a load of "Troy" and "Radar" sets in Morrisons flower buckets at the end of last year. (Stupidly I didn't mark which batch was which variety though, duh!)

When I was watering the buckets tonight I noticed what I think is going to turn into a flower - a funny bulbous bit at the end of a stem.

The onions look a bit on the small size, so I'm just wondering if I should chop that bulbous bit off the top and just let it keep going? If one of them's done that, I suspect others will follow!