# Bolting Onions?



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

We can grow some of the world's best onions here in East Tex., but there is one thing you must do or risk almost certain failure....plant early. 

Just for grins, I planted a few 1015s in February this year to compare to 1015s planted in early Nov. The Feb. 1015s are already bolting. They have no bulbs to speak of and the plants are at least 50% the size of the Nov planted 1015s. 

Early bolting means virtually no bulb and no bulb is failure in my book. 

If you want to grow spectacular onions that store well, taste great, and exceed 2 pounds consistently...plant 'em as early as you can find the sets.


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## Cdawg (Mar 9, 2016)

Lark, I planted in January and have had a couple bolt. I have been pinching off the buds. I peeked at the biggest ones yesterday and they were maybe the size of a golf ball. At this point would I be better off to pull everything up and plant something else? Or should I keep them for another few weeks? 

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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Once they bolt to seed, Cdawg, the bulbs are basically finished growing...but it sounds like most of yours haven't bolted and hence are still growing the bulbs so if it were me, I'd let them continue awhile longer.


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## Cdawg (Mar 9, 2016)

Thanks. Never had much luck with onions, but I figured I would try again. Any fertilizer in particular to use on them?

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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I like to treat the planting rows with bone meal prior to planting the sets and then during growing season side dress with 13-13-13.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

My yellow and red onions were about the size of tennis balls ( like in the photo) when the cold wind last week burned the ends of the tender leaves. 

We'll see how they size up since being stressed.


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## fishnfarmer (Aug 12, 2014)

I’ve been working on getting my onions out. They were planted from seed last October. Very few bolted this year. Planted hybrid yellow granex, red hunter, and sugar loaf.
Been charging 25 cents per pound in the field and 50 cents per pound in the shop. Estimating I made over 5 thousand pounds. Garlic did good also. Been getting 50 cents a bulb on garlic. In my experience, the biggest onion comes from a plant that was not transplanted. I’ll thin and transplant the thinnings and they don’t get as big as the ones that weren’t disturbed.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Fishnfarmer are you saying the bigger onions come from planting seeds, not from sets? 
I've always used the sets and grow mainly just 1015's. The majority of the yield is over a pound to 2 pounds.
I usually plant about 300 onions. Your onions look good. Good job. Your garlic looks good too. 
I pick mine when the tops fall over and turn the water off.
Looks like your watering the rows?


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## fishnfarmer (Aug 12, 2014)

I really can’t say that bigger onions come from direct seeding instead of using sets because I never use sets.
These are planted with a tractor and planter and where they’re thicker I’ll thin them and transplant to a blank area in the row. They are furrow irrigated. My last irrigation was about 5 weeks ago. 
I grabbed 4 large onions off the trailer and they weighed 8.2 lbs.
The largest weighed 2 lbs 4 oz.
The white hybrid I tried this year, sugar loaf, probably will stay out in the field. I don’t think it’s a true short day onion as advertised. It’s a vigorous onion but not bulbing up. It looks like a leek with a 3” bulb with a 2” stalk.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Typically, when should onion sets planted in Nov. be harvested.......Mid to late May?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Postman said:


> Typically, when should onion sets planted in Nov. be harvested.......Mid to late May?


When the tops fall over....which around here in 77351 is usually mid-May. The cool spring this year might enable them them to grow longer. Looking like a very good year for onions.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Mr. Lark, probably a little earlier down here in 77905 Victoria area, a couple of mine are falling over and they are not big enough yet hope your right about the cool weather delaying them a bit. Biggest ones so far are about baseball size........have done better in the past. Do you agree with the theory "pull the dirt away when they start to bulb" ? I've done that this year, maybe too early for any results.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Hope I didn't mess up I also side dressed with handfuls of mushroom compost when I pulled some of the dirt from around the bulbs.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Very, very nice Postman. Looks like you have some really excellent onions there. 

Yes, on pulling dirt at the start of bulbing and on side dressing. You've got some 2 lb possibilities there if everything breaks right...but couldn't help but notice the shade. Hopefully they get plenty of full sun.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

yep, garden is next to my shed, morning shade, but full sun after about 9-10 a.m. Normally I plant them all the way to other side of garden away from shop. Rotated to different ground this year. Hopefully enough time left for them to get a little (a lot) bigger.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

*Size*

Lots of onion rings with a few fish, Nov planting and not to deep.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

Wow, that onion is a big as an outboard engine. White bass fillets and onion rings.............don't get no better than that. Way to grow 'em.



nikki said:


> Lots of onion rings with a few fish, Nov planting and not to deep.


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