Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: fatbelly on October 13, 2007, 06:43

Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: fatbelly on October 13, 2007, 06:43
Hi,
I am browsing through my seed catalogue and provisionally deciding my seeds for next year.

In the Onion set section they have a some Heat treated sets, which the brochure says reduces 'bolting'. I have heard this term 'bolting' quite a lot and have read the glossary of terms in which it says that when bolted a plant is producing seed.
What causes bolting particularly in Onions and what percentage do none[/u] heat treated Onion sets bolt? Is it worth buying the heat treated sets? Is bolting a problem enough in Onions to warrant the extra payment for Heat treated sets.

Also what are the negatives to buying heat treated sets other than the extra cost? Do they produce a better or worse crop, do they taste any different?

Taste is the most important thing to me, its one of the main reasons why I have got my Plot.
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: gobs on October 13, 2007, 07:26
Good morning, Fb,

Unfortunately, it can depend on variety, I know Red  Baron being prone to bolting, but am still growing it for flavour.

On the whole, I think it's safe to say, it's not a big problem, bolting decreases yields, but in onions it can be controled if noticed early, pinch out middle thick shoot, bulb won't spoil. :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: David. on October 13, 2007, 15:25
I grew red onions from seed one year and had less bolting than from setts in other other years.

But as I did not grow both setts and from seed that year, I do not know if it was just a year when not many red onions bolted.

What experience have others had with red onions from seed compared to setts?
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: gobs on October 13, 2007, 16:49
Hi, David,

I have got a bit of a similar problem, so cannot report on red ones. I've planted them next to each other, sets and seedlings and I cannot remember which ones had the bolting ones.

Of white onions, sown from seed have not had a single one bolting the last two years, which is the no of years I grew them from seed. :)
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Annie on October 13, 2007, 17:22
I find that the red ones bolt even grown from heat treated sets,doing better from seed this year.
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: muntjac on October 13, 2007, 18:37
i use sets of both and  its down to watering and feeding the onions to stop em bolting . make sure they dont dry out and dont overfeed with nitrogen :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: mkhenry on October 13, 2007, 20:45
The most common causes for onions bolting are planting too early,a cold spring or most important planting in loose soil. :shock:

It pays to firm up the soil when you plant,and this step alone can put an end to the problem :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: WG. on October 14, 2007, 00:01
I'm with Henry - don't plant sets too early.  

Whether from sets or seeds, remember that any onion with does NOT bolt is an unfulfilled onion - bolting is what they want to do.  Your job as a gardener is to convince them that life is good (plenty food and water), and that they should build up a bit more strength in the bulb before bolting.  Then harvest before they actually do!
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: gobs on October 14, 2007, 09:10
So, the tradition of the shortest day, would that then be too early, do you think?

Also, as somethiing particular to onions is being dug up by wild life, if that happens a few times, that would stress them out, me thinks. This does not happen to seedlings.

But nobody seems to sing the praises of the heat treated ones. :roll:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: muntjac on October 14, 2007, 09:44
Quote from: "WG."
I'm with Henry - don't plant sets too early.

Whether from sets or seeds, remember that any onion with does NOT bolt is an unfulfilled onion - bolting is what they want to do. Your job as a gardener is to convince them that life is good (plenty food and water), and that they should build up a bit more strength in the bulb before bolting. Then harvest before they actually do!




 yehh innit  :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: sweet nasturtium on October 15, 2007, 12:48
mk henry - thanks for the handy hint of firming onions in.  I shall go stomping later.

muntjac - thanks also for your handy hint about seeing life from the onion's point of view!

Great advice once again from this great forum.  :D
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: WG. on October 15, 2007, 13:24
Quote from: "nasturtium"
muntjac - thanks also for your handy hint about seeing life from the onion's point of view!
Ahem!  :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: sweet nasturtium on October 15, 2007, 18:39
oops sorry wg!!! :oops:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: WG. on October 15, 2007, 18:41
:lol:  It's that guy Munty's fault - he hadn't quoted me (so I fixed his post for him).  :wink:
Title: Bolting Onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: muntjac on October 15, 2007, 18:42
ignore him nasturtium , he just jelos he cant come up with stuff like that  :wink: