Apols if anyone's already mentioned it above, but I thought the "bulbs" WERE leaves - modified scales like a daff bulb - which is why advice is to start them in modules (to get good strong leaves going early) and to feed them nitrogen. If this is right, they're certainly putting on no weight when the leaves flop over. I think, again like a daff, the energy in the green leaves is then passed into the bulb to swell them, but of course this happens before they flop.
I have the same problem as Dawn though, as I don't follow my own advice. My soil is sandy / relatively low nutrient though, so perhaps I'm fighting a losing battle.
bertrand-mabel Nil desperandum? Light coloured clay soil is a hindrance but can easily be remedied by securing spent tea bags/coffee grounds etc. from local eateries/cafes and digging them in. Powdery soot from the local sweep can also be used to darken your soil. Light colours reflect the sun's warmth, whereas dark ones absorb it. They may only affect the temperature by the odd degree or two, but it'll be enough to kick start your crops, including onions.
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