I am trying to perfect my onion growing skills. This year I planted in Sept. My onions have bulbed nicely but now they are bolting. I read that I could cut off the seed heads and let them grow til the top dies. Does this sound right to anyone? The tops are still green and healthy looking.
Veg Onions need help!
- Thread starter philkar
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Where are you located?
Onion plants are day length sensitive. Assuming you planted the right variety at the right time, it's definitely possible for a few plants to put up seed stalks... I just break them off at the base, so the energy goes into making the bulb. But if all the plants are trying to make seed, they may not make usable bulbs.
Summerthyme
Onion plants are day length sensitive. Assuming you planted the right variety at the right time, it's definitely possible for a few plants to put up seed stalks... I just break them off at the base, so the energy goes into making the bulb. But if all the plants are trying to make seed, they may not make usable bulbs.
Summerthyme
TY Summerthyme. I planted short day onions in Sept. A variety well known in this area. Not all are making seed heads. I pulled a big one yesterday just to see what the inside of the bulb looked like. It was fine. No browning area...which is what I read happens if they go to seed. Guess I will keep a watch on them and harvest when the tops start browning? I live in central north Alabama. Corn is about 10 inches high. White potatoes are about 2 feet high. I would usually harvest onions in late May but as I said trying to improve my onion skills! Ask me for a pic of my garden! Come on! You know you want to!
Ok, great! In that case, break the seed stalks off close to the top of the bulb, keep them well watered until the tops start dying back, then cut back on water. If they've produced decent bulbs but not all are dying and falling over at the same time, you can "walk them down"... just gently press the tops over onto the ground.
They actually do put a bit more size on while the tops are dying down, as well as putting more skin layers on, which helps them store. We're in a very different climate (just planted 900 long day onion plants, just in time for a warm soaking shower to water them in), so I suspect you may be trying to beat the heat, so let them grow as long as you can. But once they have mostly dried down, pull them and spread them in an airy spot... I used to use our deck, but a pallet will work. Let them cure and dry for a few days, then store.
And of course we want pics! Our last snow just melted last week...the only things planted so far here are peas, carrots, spinach, lettuce, snow peas, some herbs and the onions. Will put in potatoes next week. Our last frost date was always Memorial Day... over the past 40 years, it moved up closer to May 10th. Now it seems to be rapidly changing back!
Summerthyme
They actually do put a bit more size on while the tops are dying down, as well as putting more skin layers on, which helps them store. We're in a very different climate (just planted 900 long day onion plants, just in time for a warm soaking shower to water them in), so I suspect you may be trying to beat the heat, so let them grow as long as you can. But once they have mostly dried down, pull them and spread them in an airy spot... I used to use our deck, but a pallet will work. Let them cure and dry for a few days, then store.
And of course we want pics! Our last snow just melted last week...the only things planted so far here are peas, carrots, spinach, lettuce, snow peas, some herbs and the onions. Will put in potatoes next week. Our last frost date was always Memorial Day... over the past 40 years, it moved up closer to May 10th. Now it seems to be rapidly changing back!
Summerthyme
You are right I AM trying to beat the heat! Hubby made these great "racks" that fit in my green house and then into the root cellar for drying and storage but these onions do not store well for more than 3 months. I actually freeze or dehydrate for long term storage. Thanks for the info!
Txkstew
Veteran Member
My onion patch took a big hit back in February from the big freeze that punched into Texas. I did cover everything with black poly sheeting and then there was 6 inches of snow/ice that covered that the night before it got down to 12 deg F. When I did uncover things when it got up above freezing, the onions were all laid over. Surprisingly, they recovered quickly and stood back up and took off when the weather broke. They are bulbing up nicely, but think it set them back from the freeze and look like they're not going to get very big.
Mine are all bolting as well. They guy on Youtube from Hoss Tools said his were bolting as well, and that it happens sometimes, especially with big weather swings, and not much you can do about it. Actually all my cool weather crops started to bolting after that big freeze.
As some of my onions start to fall over, I've been pulling some to eat without curing them. I think these are some of the best onions I've ever cooked with. They are tender, tasty, and very aromatic. I too hope to get better growing onions in the future, and plan to try more verities.
Mine are all bolting as well. They guy on Youtube from Hoss Tools said his were bolting as well, and that it happens sometimes, especially with big weather swings, and not much you can do about it. Actually all my cool weather crops started to bolting after that big freeze.
As some of my onions start to fall over, I've been pulling some to eat without curing them. I think these are some of the best onions I've ever cooked with. They are tender, tasty, and very aromatic. I too hope to get better growing onions in the future, and plan to try more verities.
Thank you! We had temps in the 20's when you guys had that deep freeze. I didn't notice that it really bothered the onions but they were planted in Sept so were pretty big at that point. They are huge now!
my onions are doing well this year--at least by my standards
Planted in November ---out of about 275 I have had about 8 bolt
I just pull the and let them "cure" for a couple of days then eat them
The ones in the pic are either yellow granex or texas 10/15---Vidalias or Texas Sweets
Some are close to 6" across and they are totally organic
I planted 4 short day and 2 intermediate day varieties and all are looking really good
I wish that I could help[ with your questions but as you I am trying to learn to grow them
Planted in November ---out of about 275 I have had about 8 bolt
I just pull the and let them "cure" for a couple of days then eat them
The ones in the pic are either yellow granex or texas 10/15---Vidalias or Texas Sweets
Some are close to 6" across and they are totally organic
I planted 4 short day and 2 intermediate day varieties and all are looking really good
I wish that I could help[ with your questions but as you I am trying to learn to grow them
West
Senior
I plant onions most every year and really have not had much success but enough to keep trying, mostly the medium sized red onions or that's the best size red onion I can grow.
However we're super happy with our perennial walking onions, infact we only planted two a couple years ago, and now their in every corner in the lower garden and over a couple dozen strong. Good stuff.
morningchores.com
However we're super happy with our perennial walking onions, infact we only planted two a couple years ago, and now their in every corner in the lower garden and over a couple dozen strong. Good stuff.
Growing Egyptian Walking Onions: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest These Unique Onions
If you love onions and would like to have your own home-grown onions available year-round, you should consider Egyptian Walking Onions.
morningchores.com
We planted 600 onion plants last week, in what was a combination of partly rotted manure, wood chips and the sand stuff that passes for soil here. We're brand new, starting all over again, without a clue as to even the basics of soil qualities. We'll be trying to get some soil samples sent out, but even that is hard... the tiny orchard has soil that goes from dry sand (darned near desert) to "better water holding sand" to "muck - poorly drained, (but drainable), acidic, but rich soil. Gonna get expensive testing multiple spots of multiple soil types.
I'm thinking I'm grateful most of my long term storage got moved... I did give most of our #10 cans of dehydrated fruits and veggies... they were close to 20 years old, and while still fine, I figured they should be used. I don't think I'll regret it!
Summerthyme
I'm thinking I'm grateful most of my long term storage got moved... I did give most of our #10 cans of dehydrated fruits and veggies... they were close to 20 years old, and while still fine, I figured they should be used. I don't think I'll regret it!
Summerthyme
Beautiful!
Summerthyme
We started over 4 year ago. Lots of hard work! But if it is any encouragement we now have fruit trees that are bearing and a vineyard that produced lots of fruit last year. You are right about soil tests. Can be pricey but is the place to start. Our soil is not so bad but land needed to be cleared. We have a 2.5 acre garden that was reclaimed from the forest. And honestly I am still tired! But smiling!
We started over 4 year ago. Lots of hard work! But if it is any encouragement we now have fruit trees that are bearing and a vineyard that produced lots of fruit last year. You are right about soil tests. Can be pricey but is the place to start. Our soil is not so bad but land needed to be cleared. We have a 2.5 acre garden that was reclaimed from the forest. And honestly I am still tired! But smiling!
So different here in Alaska! I planted about 400-450 onions April 26th (long day) and they are just poking out of the soil now. I fertilized them yesterday with water soluble fish slurry, and today's rain should have them leaping out of the ground. Onions are a staple of our diet.
I'm not seraphima, but live far enough north that long day onions (or "intermediates") are necessary. There are fewer long day sweet onions- Walla Wallas are about the only truly sweet one that will grow here. I love the Copra long day keeper- I've had onions stay hard and perfect until September of the FOLLOWING YEAR... a full month after I'd harvested that year's onions! Dixondale Onions is the only source of plants anymore- they've bought up the entire seed supply, as it's an older variety, apparently. Copras are pungent onions- great for winter dishes.
Summerthyme
Yep... the Walla Walla sweets I grow from Dixondale Onions have a ONE MONTH storage life ! But... I've found that I can have sweet onions from late July to Thanksgiving, if I start harvesting as soon as the bulbs are big enough, and then when the tops dies down, cure for 2-3 days, then get them in the refrigerator. I've actually managed to get a couple to keep until Christmas!
Sweets have a higher water content and a much higher sugar content than keeping varieties. It limits their shelf life.
Summerthyme