Onions

Hi

I wastold today at the allotment that one should not water onions they said they seen it with Monty Don is this true.

 

Hi

Forgot to say when you water onions Monty Don says thats what makes them bolt ??? does anyone know about this.

 

I tend to think dryness makes them bolt in the early season.

They need to be able to grow without getting the growth checked by drought.
My guess is, if they get really dry and stop growing, and then you water them, they might just bolt.

 

Bolting is associated with a dry soil followed by watering and the plant thinks. "Oh er better go to seed as its getting a bit dry then a big shower?"

water regularly and all should be ok, My exhibition onions have always been ok even removing flowers and the plants still grow ok.

 

Hi Lad, do you actually show onions that have bolted?

I was under the impression that once they had grown a seed head the bulb was unsuitable.

 

Yes I do I just remove the flower heads and we are all back to normal. yes I do sometimes win.

 

That's what I've always been told, but maybe the earlier period of prolonged hot dry weather followed by some cold frosty weather has done it. Or a bit of both as they never seem to need much of an excuse to bolt.

 

But once the flowering stem forms the bulb stops growing and takes on a different shape.
You only have to cut open a bulb that has had a flower form and you can see it was there.
I was under the impression that exhibitionists would not like bulbs that had flowered.

 

Really I mean it, if u remove the flower bud early and feed with a high potash fertiliser you wont get any problems.

Yes it helps to stop bolting in the first place but not always does it happen but that's gardening, BTW Onions you buy in shops are treated to stop bolting hence the poor taste.

 

To be honest, I`ve never know a show man who tabled onions that have run to seed. Once they have gone to seed the quality isn`t there. I`ve been wrong before though.lol

 

My tiny veg plot is slightly raised so gets dryer quicker then the normal ground level.
My onions get watered regular and are coming on just fine, as they have the last three years.

 

But I doubt I would get away with it at the Nationals

 

I`m surprised you get away with it at your local show.:D

 

me too, i guess u are an experienced exhibitor?