Onions going to seed

[Pickle]

Hi, I've recently got an allotment (September) and one of the first things I planted was onions. They've overwintered brilliantly and been going great guns this past couple of months. Anyway, I was down the allotment today and I noticed that a few of my onions are growing flower bus. Why are they doing this (they've not got to the stage of the foliage dying back and it's not the fattest most onion shaped onions if you know what I mean) and does it mean those onions are now useless (except for seeds)

[donnakebab]

Hi pickle. The same thing has happened to me with just 3 of my over wintered onions (so far). What I have read here is to use those onions straight away. If the leaves are still like big chives then cook with them (worked for me) but don't use the central ...thingy that had a flower head on top as it's quite tough (you can feel it is).

CS and BB please stay quiet.

[Leeds_lad]

Cut off any stems that you think are going to flower. The onions should keep a bit longer then. Use them as quick as you can though.

[solway cropper]

Every year I lose a few of the overwintered onions to bolting but this year it's almost all of them. Probably the warm March followed by cold April.

Thankfully I have the spring planted sets and onions from seed so all is not lost.

[Chef_uk]

The dry winter and hot March almost certainly played its part (same as last year). I'm expecting some of mine to suffer but touch wood none have as of yet.

[Two_Sheds]

does it mean those onions are now useless (except for seeds)

They're no good for seeds: because you don't want to breed from a plant that bolts prematurely

[Gemmalaveen]

Two of my spring planted onions have bolted so I have removed the flower spike but I am planning to leave them in the soil to continue maturing. I will use them first following the harvest because I have read that they won't store well. Hopefully the others don't follow suit.

[Pickle]

Thank you everyone. Unfortunately nearly all of them have bolted now. Looks like we'll be having onions with every meal for a while now! I've cut out the flower buds though so hopefully they'll last a bit longer in the ground.
Are there any other types of onions I could plant now?

[donnakebab]

You could try spring / salad onions.

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, spring onions now, and Japanese onions in October

[binley100]

Slice your bolted onions and freeze them , overwintering ones don't store very well anyway . Whats worrying me is that this years sets are starting to bolt and they're still tiddly

[Tripmeup]

Slice your bolted onions and freeze them , overwintering ones don't store very well anyway . Whats worrying me is that this years sets are starting to bolt and they're still tiddly

Some of my Spring sown ones are too (not many but a few)....but it only seems to be the Red onions that are doing it....

[binley100]

Red onion sets are notorious . Best to grow red onions from seed . It's my sturon sets that are trying to flower.......

[Pickle]

Binley, thanks for the tip. I'll do that as so many of them have bolted I'm going to struggle to get through them all before they go off I think. The majority of them have at least reached a decent size now though.

[CaroltheCarrot]

You could also try drying them, I do it in a dehydrator but am sure a low oven would do the trick as well. Dried onions taste great and you only need a little amount in a dish. I had to do it with all my red onions last year.