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Red onions
Nannyd
Posts: 2
Can you please tell me why my red onions ( Red Baron) are going to seed. White onions planted in same plot are fine.
0
Posts
Hi nannyd iv had the same problem I always pull them up a bit earlier than white onions the down side they are a bit smaller but the up side is you can savour the sweetness ! Red barren do bolt plus our unpredictable growing seasons look at it this way I grow reds for sweetness and whites for storing in autumn and hopefully winter
This is the very last time we are trying red onions because of them bolting, we have grown a winter version thinking they would be better, but no, still bolted. You can buy heat treated red onions which are supposed to stop them from bolting.
This is my first year growing red onions (or indeed onions full stop) and I've loved seeing their bold colours and how they hold themselves upright. Its been amazing the past few weeks the way they seem to have pushed themselves out of the ground. But I really must remember to water them more!!
Some of my Red Electric (planted in October) bolted but I just removed the flower buds as soon as I saw them and they seemed OK. My problem was that one of the residents decided they were ready last week and pulled up the lot. They weren't. And he left the leaves lying around.
Believe me, I considered it. They also took every stalk from two rhubarb plants.
And, I was wondering why the strawberries weren't very productive, and blaming my indolence in failing to net them against the blackbirds and magpies
. Then I discovered a bowl of semi-ripe ones in the kitchen - some someone's been picking those before they're ready as well. 
Oh Steve I'd be in tears! (I get very emotional about the strangest of things). Do you have any control about stopping residents from accessing the garden when you or suitable other "garden guides" are not around? Or perhaps any way of putting a big board up saying when plants are to be harvested (i.e. onions are not to be harvested until July 21st which gives you chance to ensure they're ready and then some so they can be lifted "early" when you're around to make sure they tidy up too?) I'm not sure how the residents are affected so to how much they would understand with pictures or photos of strawberries saying "only to harvest when they're THIS red".
That said I doubt any of those would stop a bored / well meaning resident from ripping a plant up
I wish you luck in the rest of the harvest!!