flowering onions

[drivingmisscrazy]

I have a few onions on my allotment with flower heads (like alliums, unsurprisingly enough ) - should I cut them on the principle that the plants will put their energy into the flowers rather than the onion bulbs? Onions themselves are still not very big

thanks

They have bolted I am afraid - you can cut off the flower but they won't grow much and will have a sort of stem down the middle of them. You can eat them but will need to eat them quite quickly, they won't store as the stem bit will rot.

I think they bolt because of not enough water, or something. can't remember!

thanks - was on hols for 2 weeks and relying on neighbours to water - they did, but clearly not enough! it's only a couple - not loads of them at least

oh no!
I didn't realise you weren't supposed to let the onions flower. Ours have massive flower stems on, but then the onions themselves are also quite sizable.

Some varieties are more prone to bolting than others. It has also been quite a stressful season for onions!

I have harvested my bolted onions and fried them off then frozen them for use in ratatouille when my tomatoes finally decide to join in.

Disturbing the earth around them by vigorous weeding can also make onions bolt.

Thanks Melted, useful info - another good reason for not weeding around my onions!

If your onions have bolted, leave them in the ground for a while as the flowers are really attractive to bees and other insects. Bees love alliums of all types - I always leave some old leeks or shallots, whatever, in for a second year so they will flower.

Can you then collect the seeds and sow them next year instead of buying sets?

Yes, you can grow onions from seed although they won't get as big as from sets (same with shallots). Leeks you grow from seed anyway. There are lots of little black seeds so if you shake the flower head over a container/jug you should get a fair few from one flower head. Very sustainable