Know your onions!!

[esbo]

I notice some onions I forgot to harvest from last year have re-sprouted and seem to be growing quite nicely. They did not do very well last year so were not worth pulling up, but it seems a good thing I left them as they seem to be doing really well!

I am not sure if this is to be expected as I am no expect

Aslo I harvested some small onions from last year and left them in a plant pot and a load of them seem to have sprouted in there!!

Seems quite remarkable really when you consider the lengths you go to get thing right for your plants ie the right soil spacing and light (these are right up to the no sun side of the house in the shade) yet they really do not need any help at all, I mean there is not even any soil in the pot.

I will have to see what I can do regarding replanting them tomorrow (or when I get round to it!!) but I am quite surprised how well they can do all by themselves when they are apparently in a pretty hopeless situation.

Indeed it seems they do better without any input form me

[Martin H]

Always nice to see nature finds a way!

However I suspect these onions are just racing to send up a flower spike and set seed in the hope that the next generation has a bit more luck. You probably won't get bulbs from them, just some pretty flowers.

Let us know what happens?

[Alison]

Unfortunately they will just go to flower in their second year, very pretty but no use as bulbs. If you've got the space leave them, as I say they look nice, but get some new ones for this year if you want actual onions.

[Kirk]

Onions are bi-annual so in the first year they form a (hopefully) nice big bulb, then in the second year they form a nice big flower for pollination and seed production.

We tend to pull them in the first year and fry, stew or add them with cheese to a roll.
So the majority do not make a seed head.

Yours are now in the second year.

[esbo]

Unfortunately they will just go to flower in their second year, very pretty but no use as bulbs. If you've got the space leave them, as I say they look nice, but get some new ones for this year if you want actual onions.

But I have had them go to flower in the first year too, so I don't see how that makes a difference.

Anyway the 'bulb' below the ones in the ground seems to have gone soft, however the green bits on top seem healthy.

Of the ones in the flower pots they seem firmer, especially the ones which have not sprouted so much.

I guess they will come to nothing but I will leave some to grow anyway.

[esbo]

Onions are bi-annual so in the first year they form a (hopefully) nice big bulb, then in the second year they form a nice big flower for pollination and seed production.

We tend to pull them in the first year and fry, stew or add them with cheese to a roll.
So the majority do not make a seed head.

Yours are now in the second year.

They were planted form sets, they went to flower in one year before, well some did.

None of the onions came to too much really just small bulbs, but they were pretty firm and hot to taste. more so than ones form supermarkets.

I think I did post a picture of the onion flower one year, I was surprise what a nice looking flower it was!

[esbo]

Unfortunately they will just go to flower in their second year, very pretty but no use as bulbs. If you've got the space leave them, as I say they look nice, but get some new ones for this year if you want actual onions.

Yes I just mentioned how pretty the flowers were, I did take some pictures, however unfortunately I took so many pictures of various things in the garden I doubt I till be able to find the pictures I too.

I will try and have a look though.

Oh I found a picture, it's a bit of a vegetable jungle there though, there is also a bee on it!!



Not a very good camera for detail and close focus though.

[Alison]

But I have had them go to flower in the first year too, so I don't see how that makes a difference.

Anyway the 'bulb' below the ones in the ground seems to have gone soft, however the green bits on top seem healthy.

Of the ones in the flower pots they seem firmer, especially the ones which have not sprouted so much.

I guess they will come to nothing but I will leave some to grow anyway.

Although they're supposed to flower in their second year, if they are stressed some will flower early (in their first year). The fact that they didn't come to much backs up the fact that conditions weren't ideal but you're being optimistic in the extreme to think that they will now come to anything other than flowers.

[esbo]

Although they're supposed to flower in their second year, if they are stressed some will flower early (in their first year). The fact that they didn't come to much backs up the fact that conditions weren't ideal but you're being optimistic in the extreme to think that they will now come to anything other than flowers.

Yes I know the conditions are too shaded.

Anyway I will let them grow as I have nothing to to put where they are now, a part form some new set onions, which will again not come to a great deal.

It is a shady spot though so maybe I should put something more suitable to shade there.

[rana]

Bunches of onion flower spikes are a common sight in SE Asian vegetable markets. I am always surprised when I see UK veg growers snap off and discard the flower stems, as if the only value in this vegetable is the bulb. Like you I have planted some old sets this year and will be gastronomically rewarded regaerdless of whether they throw flowers or form bulbs.