Nipping onion seed heads off

ive never had a problem with rainwater rotting the bulbs, as once you nip the flower head off the stem normally shrivels up at the top

It seems like these days almost anything is possible. If you're worried, then snip off the actual seed head and bend over the rest of the seed stem. It will virtually shut out any rain while it dies down.

Hi kieth - you have to nip the seed heads off im afrraid, if you dont you wont have anything to harvest as all the bulbs stored energy will be used up to make the seeds.

 And yes by nipping the seed heads off it does allow the onions to swell, and it WONT kill the onions. Onion plants do die - but the bulb that they form stores and doesn't rot(thats if they haven't got white rot or bolted - unfortunately yours wont store for very long due to them bolting)

and to answer you third question - its not always red onions - for example my white and red onions have bolted this year - im affraid bolting is usually brought on by and odd season

Makes sense, though I have read you should nip the stem with the bud right at its base - hmm - not sure why. Re- bolting onions, I have had both red and white bolt, but this year it just seems to be the red ones.

reds are more prone to bolting than whites something to do with heat treated sets I think. But it also has something to do if they have periods of drought.

Seem a lot of work to tie each one of them up after removing the heads... why not just dig them up, cut and freeze.. would save a lot of time.