Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Red onions bolting; white onions ok

derekpderekp Posts: 36
in Problem solving
nearly all of my red inions have bolted. However, all of my white onions are ok. They are both in the same raised bed and are right next to each other. Any ideas as to why whites are ok but the reds have bolted?

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Reds are always quicker to bolt in my garden, even in a good year at least 1/4 of them bolt. They don't store very well though so as soon as they bolt they get used. I grow reds to use and whites to store. if you want to store reds you have to treat them very gently when lifting and handling as they seem to bruise easily and that's what seems to start the rot. I wouldn't even bother growing them but I love them in a cheese sandwich.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    All my Red Baron onions have bolted after taking forever to get going and not all growing.   A chap on another forum reckons the stock is losing quality and grew his own from seed this year and had much better results than the last 2 years with this onion as sets.   I shan't bother with this one again as garlic in the same bed has just been brilliant so it's not me or the soil or the climate.


    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I have red baron onions in this year both from seed and from sets, neither have a single one that has bolted, however my white onions, around 5% of them from sets bolted. (just sold as yellow onions) the bedfordshire champion onions I have (from seed) have also not bolted. I find Red Baron store amazingly well, from a late September harvest right through until march when they start to sprout.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    My onions have bolted, can I just leave the flowers on? It's first time growing onions I won't bother again this allotment is a steep learning curve!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    My Red Baron were winter sets so I should have been harvesting them but every one has just a thick stalk and a flower head and no bulb forming.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Can you just pretend you wanted flowers anyway Obelix? Are they edible? 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I prefer my allium flowers purple.   As I don't need the space I'm leaving them for the insects but then it's the compost heap.

    I use chive flowers in salads and they're also alliums so try the flowers and see.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    I will do, maybe set a new trend! I don't know why I grew onions anyway they are so cheap in the shops and that particular bed in the allotment is infested with red ants so they are not getting weeded enough and look dreadful! It's my first year and I am keeping a record of what's doing well and I  afraid onions won't be on next years plan. 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I prefer red onions and from June to August there's a gap here where they have to come in from Spain or even Oz or NZ so I plant to cover the gap.   I might try seed next year.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
Sign In or Register to comment.