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onions

• Message 1. 

  Posted by notmargo (U14135280) on Saturday, 29th May 2010

  I planted onions over Winter which are supposed to be ready mid-May according to the packets. They have very green leaves and appear to be thriving (despite the best attempts of the mole to shift the bulbs!!) Is there an obvious way to tell whether the onions are ready for digging up? I read somewhere that you should lay them on top of the soil for a few days after digging up? Is this a good idea?
  
  Thanks for any advice.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by 711sammie (U14046421) on Saturday, 29th May 2010

  Remember we are well behind this year in weather, an unusual measure is that we always have a lot of theft from our site near Epsom Downs around Derby week from the travellers. Given that the Derby is a week away, the best they'll get this year is a bag of rhubarb. Be patient with your onions, they're probably not ready yet. Kind Regards Sammie

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Saturday, 29th May 2010

  Mine are also looking suprisingly green and healthy. You could push the soil back off one, if it hasn't started bulbing out yet push the soil back over it again. They may not be ready yet in which case patience is needed.
  
  I may be wrong but the leaves need to start dying back before they'll be ready for harvest. Someone else maybe able to give better advise.
  
  When I harvested last year they were put in the shed to dry off on a shelf and then platted before being hung up on hooks. The shed was fairly dark and cool, mine kept well like this certainly until December when I used the last.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by notmargo (U14135280) on Sunday, 30th May 2010

  Thanks for the responses - I had thought perhaps we were well behind and that they weren't yet ready so pleased to think I may actually be learning something!
  
  Seems awful Sammie that you have stuff stolen from allotments, I only have a small area in my garden (fairly close to you in Esher) but at least no one gets to eat the stuff I grow except me and the OH.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010

  I've just topped the seeds from some of the largest onions and the sap rising through them is phenomenal, but the harder skin of the flower shoot(?) is that much harder and less edible than the rest of the plant.
  
  If that sap can be redirected in to the onion tuber then it is worth topping them, but i am not convinced.
  
  What effect does that have on the internal skins of the onion, when you remove the flower head like that? Probably a thicker skin, in the middle of all the others?

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by tiptonnic (U14496053) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010

  I'm also growing over winter onions for the 1st time (electrik red I think) and although they seem healthy some of them have sent up flower stalks. Is this a problem (bolting perhaps???) - do you just remove the head / the whole stalk or just leave well alone?

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010

  A flowering onion is no good they have no bulb and if you take the flower off and the rian goes down the middle the onion will rot

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• Message 8

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  Posted by tiptonnic (U14496053) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010

  sounds like probably best to "harvest" now?

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• Message 9

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  Posted by notmargo (U14135280) on Thursday, 3rd June 2010

  I was worried after the one post about "topping the seeds" and flower heads as my onions have no flowers at all - from latter posts I assume this is how they should be??

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• Message 10

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  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Friday, 4th June 2010

  If they have no flower, you may be in luck so far, and the bulb is still increasing normally.
  
  Mine have only had 1/2in of rain in six or seven weeks which is not good.
  
  Does farmersteve recommend harvesting as soon as they start to do anything like flowering, which I shall do, if he reckons thus, or wait until just before it rains?
  
  They are not too bad as size goes, and I do need some onions.

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Friday, 4th June 2010

  notmargo:
  
  Here is the answer to the onion flowers in Spring.
  
  
  
  I think I shall probably harvest mine now as they are quite large but have bolted. They can only deteriorate, and be less edible.
  
  My garlic has not flowered and that is good, in a shadier place too.

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Friday, 4th June 2010

  it is unfortuante when onions bolt but they will come to very little
  you are very unlucky if a large per centage bolt
  some varieties are far more prone than others
  unfortunately reds are far more prone than white
  I have taken part in seed trials and some varieties bolt 100 percent if they have too much frost others will rarely bolt
  I think the extreme cold this year has prompted varieties which do not normally bolt to do so
  Beware of advice from American websites on the subject some parts do not know what frost is and others have fost which make ours look like a mild spring day

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 12.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Friday, 4th June 2010

  I may have planted a little early but as FS says the frosts of the winter, and now the lack of water may have caused them to do so. I will cut my losses, and still have plenty of good onions for the next few weeks.
  
  The garlic is doing well.
  
  A few chives or Welsh onions came up among the others and they have also got flower heads.
  
  I'll be able to plant the bed again, after weeding, in August/September.

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