[rink123]

All my Onions have bolted why  ,  I have give them lots of water  pls help .thx

[mumofstig]

because of the weather.........if you cut the flower heads off you can still use the onions, they just won't store as well.

[peapod]

They have more than likely been stressed with the hot weather - onions are notorious for bolting when stressed. A few too dry days can cause a panic and bolt.

Were they grown from seed? Japanese? Red onions? All are also prone to bolting right now.

[Kristen]

Onions grow from Sets are more prone to bolting than those grown from Seed - although seed is a bit more of a kerfuffle

[slowcompost]

A lot of mine from sets have bolted, those from seed are doing well.  Much better onions too, nice rounded bottoms  :

[rink123]

Thx for all your replies , they where from sets   next year i will grow from seeds

[Christo]

Am I right in thinking that some onion sets are heat treated to help reduce risk of bolting? Why would growing from seed be better?

[Jamie Butterworth]

75% of my onions have sent up a spire with a seed thingy on it, im refusing to use the b*lt word, they will be fine (I hope)

I snapped them of straight away and they seem to be bulbing up nicely

[Kristen]

Am I right in thinking that some onion sets are heat treated to help reduce risk of bolting? Why would growing from seed be better?

Dr Hessayon says:

"Onion sets are immature bulbs ... there are several advantages of sets over seed. Quicker maturing, succeed in the North where seed may disappoint, not attacked by onion fly or mildew, less skill and less soil fertility are required. Against them is the extra cost, and extra risk of bolting (although modern varieties are less inclined to bolt). Another safeguard is to only buy sets that are less than 3/4" across"

Perhaps this years weather has exasperated the bolting issue? or cost-cutting has meant they are no longer treated properly?

All I can say is I'm very pleased with my seed-sown onions (always grown sets before, only grew seed because I got a packet included with one of John's books!)

[Gemma_25]

Um....... what's "bolting" mean???

 

[DD.]

Prematurely flowering & going to seed. Onions should not do it until their second year.

[Oliveview]

We grew onions from seedlings- bought from the local garden center- we have had a great crop.  About 20 out of over 200 bolted so I´m using them up first, the rest are hanging fron the covered patio roof drying.
Last year I planted up both seedlings and onion sets (red and white sets)  virtually every red set bolted and most of the white too.  Seedlings have been much more successful for me.
Pamela

[JohnB47]

In all of the packets of onion sets that I've looked at over this last two years, I've never actually seen one marked as 'heat treated'. Has anyone come across it? Perhaps I'd need to go mail order rather than buy from a Garden Centre?

[rink123]

Well this is a bad year for me with onions,  my whites all rotted , I dont think they keep well, and my reds all bolted ,so if i put onions seeds in next year , how can thay grow as fast as sets 

[Salmo]

Start as early as possible. If sowing direct in the ground you should aim at late Feb or early March. You may have to use cloches to get the ground dry enough to sow. Onion seeds do not rot in wet/cold soil. This will produce kitchen size onions 2 to 3 inches across that will ripen in August and store well. They will look spindley until June when they will bulk up.

Alternitavely, and for larger onions, sow them in modules in early Feb and plant them out in April when they have at least 3/4 leaves. Some start them in January but they are usually after show onions.