I have onions whose tops have gotten completely out of hand, are flopping in all directions! Question is: can I top these to force better bulb formation? Read this can be done with shallots, and..as an allium is an allium..wondering if same principal won't work on the onions. Greens won't go to waste: they get cut up, covered with kosher salt, stored in fridge for use in winter soups and stews for flavoring, or just froze for other uses. Thanks for tips on this... moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
I have talked to many people in my area and none of ours have done well this year !! I don`t know who your supplier is or if you grew them from seed, but once they lay down and seed out it doesn`t matter if you give them a kiss each night, they are finished and you might as well eat the ones you can and start for fall onions. Onions have a set life span and you can`t change that. Thats what happened to everyone here. The growers start the onions at the same time each year looking for sales starting in late Feb or early March. This year we had rain so heavy and cooler temps so no one could get in the gardens. As soon as it dried out a bit we had another flood. Since people didn`t plant as early onions just sat there getting older and older. Then when we could plant, lifespan was half gone and onions went to seed before bulbs could fully form. So it isn`t just yours its everyones onions here. They all did the same as yours. Just re-read your post and am wondering if I made a correct assumption that the tops have started to lay down with seed heads or are you just wondering if more of the growth goes into the tops than the bulb? And if you top them, you will get bigger bulbs ?? I have never heard of this being done as the top is a part that helps the bulb form. And is an indicator of maturity.
keep in mind your basics- nitrogen (manures, blood and bone, feathers and fur hoof and horn)is used for leafy and stem growth and phosphorous (potash, bone meal, compost, bat guano, rock phosphate, banana peels) for fruit and flower mix. Over supply of one or at wrong time of growth phase can be at the expense of utilisation of the other nutrient and so can affect plant development
Hmmm? A lot of my onions have gotten lazy and laid down in the garden too. No seed heads, just laying down. I too wondered if they will continue to grow, or should I pull them now?
Usually when onions reach maturity the tops will get a bit thicker, some have almost a wavy look and they will be rather tough. If they are like that, then I would pull them. However if they are still tender and smooth, they could be laying over from wind or something else. It could also be from the neck being too small to hold it up. Sometimes the onion top grows so fast that the neck and bulb doesn`t keep up. If the neck looks a bit small for the size of the tops you might leave them a while longer and see if the bulb grows anymore.
Very sad crop of onions this year. I haven't a clue what went wrong. We watered and they never grew. I set out seedlings and harvested onions about the size of marbles. Oh well, better luck next year.
Well Weeds--I have never heard of this, per se...that is to say that clipping the tops will stimulate bulb formation. I do it sometimes to leeks (also alliums), when I first transplant them--but that is to stimulate root development. It is an interesting thought, and if you test this theory, I would be interested to hear what your results are.
I have not heard of anyones onions doing well this year. None here did like I said in my other post. Too wet and no one could plant early, onions got older and by the time we planted the lifespan was half gone. Mine were the size of golf balls. Last year I had softball size onions.
Sjoerd: I did top onions in containers with three differant tomatoes to see what would come of it, have noticed they are bulbing despite the "haircut", remaining greens are staying healthy looking. Will compare what happens with these as to ones left (as are) that seem to be all tops still, report on what happens when they're ready to pull and I see end results. What was planted are red, white and yellows from packages of bulblets, will be interesting to see how they do as weather has been quite sporadic and everything's a good month behind what they should be! Have had excellant production with yellow onions before, but this year is? and sounds like noone is having luck with them.
So you planted onion "sets" rather than the started ones ?? Many of those are for the production of " green onions" as we call them in the south and do not make large storage onions. Do you know the variety ?
No, I don't. Bags came in a package deal along with garlic and shallots also, no varieties listed. Planted excess yellows for green onions (at 2 inches deep so they wouldn't "bulb), will come back every year. Others were planted just deep enough to barely cover the bulblets and those are the eatin' ones that produce. I grow most everything from seed but have found starting out with this type onion does better for me on overall so stick with them. Secret is getting them as soon as stores put them out in early spring, otherwise if you WAIT, half are bad or shriveled up like dried peas!
The ones that come back every year will not bulb no matter if you plant them deep or shallow. Those are what we call multiplying onions. My grandparents always had those. Certain onions do better in different locations depending on soil type. Always better buying your onions from seed stores in your area. They usually have the ones best adapted to your location. I am in Texas and have sand in my garden. The spanish whites and the 1015 sweets do best here. Red onions do not do well here. Buying the ones that come in the packages like most chain stores have could be for anywhere in their sales area. They are not always the best for producing storage type onions. If the variety isn`t listed,,how do you know what you are trying to grow?
Yes, apparently you can Hi Weeds N Seeds, I'd never heard about anyone successfully clipping the toppings. But when I read your post I made a little research, and apparently you can trim the tops - and help the bulbs to grow better. It's a little bit surprising because, as Mart also mentioned, the bulbs only grow while the leaves are growing. And onions can easily be injured. When you trim the tops you just grasp the leaves and cut them with a sharp scissor about four inches from the point where the onion enters the soil. Then you should just repeat this procedure regularly, in order to keep the leaves at about four inches. According to some gardeners this trimming helps the bulb to grow better and bigger. And, most important, it should prevent the onions from running to seed! You should of course follow all the other, usual advice on how to cultivate the onion. But I suppose you know all that. :idea: If you're in doubt, you could always test the pruning procedure on a couple of your onions, and observe what's happening. But it can of course be a little bit difficult because the bulb is covered with earth and manure. On the other hand, if in any case you fear that the onions are going to seed, it might be worth a try. Again, I haven't tried this myself. But, as I just said, it might be worth a try. Hope this helps a bit! Best, Anette
THANK YOU, Anette! I couldn't find any information on doing this but do know it's advised for shallots to force production there, and it seems to be working with them.
Just glad to help a bit Sorry for the late reply. I was away for a couple of days. Thank you very much, too, weeds n seeds, for sharing your concerns with us. It's really enriching to hear about the experiences of other gardeners. I'm just glad if I can help a bit. And I really hope that you'll get some good long-term results. Best, Anette
