Onion with a flower bud

[Millymollymandy]

Surely that shouldn't happen? I planted my onions (from sets) about 8 weeks ago and one of them has a bud on it - I thought that onions flowered only if you left them in place and didn't dig them up when they were ready. Mine can't be ready yet can they? I thought it took months.

Confused first time onion grower!

[wulf]

Plants from the onion family can have very ornamental blooms - I've got some alliums in my garden grown just for that purpose and the chives are also putting on a great display. However, it's perhaps not so good when your 'for eating' onions decide to pretty themselves up!

I'm not an expert on these matters but have they been getting enough water? I seem to recall that placing plants under stress (eg. drought) can cause them to set seed (for which flowering is the first stage).

Wulf

[Wombat]

Yup, that's true Wulf,

I grow onions very year and quite often get one or two that flower............I eat 'em anyway. I suspect that if one or two do it then the genetic variability of the seed predisposes those to the early running up to seed. If the whole lot do it.............................that's another matter!

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

It's this darned free draining soil - was great for digging in the middle of winter but now...... you are probably right about lack of water because the tips of the green bits are a bit brown. I've been watering that veggie patch a lot - seed drills etc but the spuds and onions I mainly left to get on with it. Never mind we had some good rain day before yesterday.

Shall I pick off the flower bud?

[ina]

Maybe you could leave it on, just to see if it produces proper seed? Then you can sow your own next year! Another step towards self sufficiency... (If you want to take it that far!) It works well with chives. My neighbour has loads of chives in her garden, which she never picks. It flowers profusely. and must be seeding itself out, as I've got plenty of chives growing on my drive now!

Ina

[Wombat]

G'day guys,

When saving seed you should always do it from the best, largest, most productive plants. If this one is pre-disposed to bolting it would not be good to save the seed from, for serious growing anyway......as an experiment, why not?

Nev

[alcina]

As wombat says you can eat onions that have bolted, it's just that they don't store as well - I believe the official answer is "the neck is soft". Bolting can be caused by being too warm for most vegetables, but this is the first year I've grown onions so I'm certainly no expert!

Alcina

[Millymollymandy]

It's hardly too warm for onions here! I picked off the bud anyway. I've grown spring onions many times but first time I've had room for real onions. I've got loads of little seed onions left (bought too many!) so I've planted them in pots just to use the greens in cooking. At least they come up quickly unlike the spring onions!