I am growing purple onions, my first onions ever.
They have huge wonderful green tops and a few have started to grow that
sprout with a flower on top. Sorry, can't reember what it is called.
I understand you are to cut off or bend over that sprout so the energy goes
into the onion. If I leave it on, what will it become?
Also, is there any reason to NOT cut some of the green tops to use for onion
chives? Will it hurt the progress of the onion?
How long do they take to bulb up?
Thanks, all.
Roz
phx, az, usa

" wrote:

I am growing purple onions, my first onions ever.
They have huge wonderful green tops and a few have started to grow that
sprout with a flower on top. Sorry, can't reember what it is called.
I understand you are to cut off or bend over that sprout so the energy goes
into the onion. If I leave it on, what will it become?
Also, is there any reason to NOT cut some of the green tops to use for onion
chives? Will it hurt the progress of the onion?
How long do they take to bulb up?
Thanks, all.
Roz
phx, az, usa

It sounds like you may be confusing onions and garlic. With garlic,
"that sprout with a flower on top" is called a scape. And, with
garlic, cutting off the scape is supposed to help send more energy to
the bulb.
However, onions are biennial and if yours are sending up flower
stalks, they are already (or think they are) in their second year.
Also, stress such as extreme heat and/or water shortage may make them
bolt in their first season. After all, their first priority is to
produce seeds and if it looks like they are doomed they'll try. Any
such flower stalks should be removed immediately. If not removed,
bulbing will be reduced and the resulting bulb will be of little
culinary use as they are already diverting most of their energy to the
production of seeds. If the flower stalk is not removed, the bulb will
become mushy and will not store. You could let them go to seed, save
the seeds and plant them for next season.
Another point to remember is that onions are classified as "long day"
or "short day" depending on the hours of daylight required to start
bulbing. Make sure you get the right variety for your area.

Good luck,
Ross

Thanks, Ross.
I didn't pay attn. to the long day or short day labeling. I imagine the
nursery would carry the right type for my area. Maybe not.
Phx may be a short day area? Because the heat sets in so early? How long
do short day onions take?
They havent' been stressed, if anything they have been babied! I planted
them in very rich soil in a raised box in the fall.
Can I use the green leaves as onion chives or will I hurt the plants?
Roz
phx, az, usa

I grow tons of onions every year from set(Sept,Oct) and I notice around
Mar/April of
the following year onions always sending up flower. I can't bend the onion
easily
because it would break the stem so I just let it be. But I found out last
year that if I purchase
more onion sets and plant them right around April/May they will not send
flower up,
the bulb grow more in the summer and I leave them on the grown to be pulled
slowly
for eating. I'm guessing it has to do with the increasing of sun light from
short days to long
days but not sure why.
I don't have much luck with growing leek or onion from seeds. They are so
tiny
and take forever to mature. For leek if I forgot and leave them on the
ground for more
than a year then can be grown to supermarket size. Leeks somehow don't send
up
flower.I also grow tons of garlic from supermaket bulbs with no problem. I
usually
end up with too many, have to pull them off the grown to prepare for next
crop.
They don't send up scape or anything like that. I know growing these alliums
depends
on the area where where you live, I live in Northern California, zone 9.
Quyen

" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Ross.
I didn't pay attn. to the long day or short day labeling. I imagine the
nursery would carry the right type for my area. Maybe not.
Phx may be a short day area? Because the heat sets in so early? How long
do short day onions take?
They havent' been stressed, if anything they have been babied! I planted
them in very rich soil in a raised box in the fall.
Can I use the green leaves as onion chives or will I hurt the plants?
Roz
phx, az, usa

" wrote in message
...
I am growing purple onions, my first onions ever.
They have huge wonderful green tops and a few have started to grow that
sprout with a flower on top. Sorry, can't reember what it is called.
I understand you are to cut off or bend over that sprout so the energy
goes
into the onion. If I leave it on, what will it become?
Also, is there any reason to NOT cut some of the green tops to use for
onion
chives? Will it hurt the progress of the onion?
How long do they take to bulb up?
Thanks, all.
Roz
phx, az, usa

1.) Red/Purple Onions are not the easiest to raise well.
2.) If they are sending up a flower stalk I would surmise you have planted
onion sets and not
new first season plants, n'ext pas?
3.) If you want anything at all from the onions the flower/seed stalk should
be pinched off at the earliest
opportunity...but even then the bulb it makes will have a hard central
core and be inferior as well as
a short keeper.
4.) If you want green tops you should grow shallots or a bunching onion.
Once you cut the top of a
bulbing onion the resulting bulbs will have dead shells within them as
each verticle leaf of an onion
corresponds to one shell of the classic onion bulb structure.
5.) To the extent you will have success if any the bulbs will be complete by
mid summer.
6.) Day length of onions is quite important. You should be on a short day
onion and you should either
plant seeds in November to make plants for February (Phoenix) or
purchase plants. Onion sets
can make some onions, but you will always have trouble with seed stalks.
7.) If you want some excellent onion culture info from an excellent source
of plants (where I get mine)
go to this site:www.dixondalefarms.com Try the variety called "Candy"
It may be too late to order
from Dixondale this year and also late for planting in the Phoenix area.
BUT, if you want bulbs, don't cut those tops.
Best wishes, Jerome

" writes:
I am growing purple onions, my first onions ever.
They have huge wonderful green tops and a few have started to grow that
sprout with a flower on top. Sorry, can't reember what it is called.

If Spanish onions are anything like the white and brown, you might
consider allowing 1 or 2 to flower and set seed. You won't have to
buy any more onion seedlings, a hundred or more will come up next
season like the hair on a dog's back. Just dig them up when 4 or 5
inches high and transplant into a neat row for your crop next year.

I understand you are to cut off or bend over that sprout so the energy goes
into the onion. If I leave it on, what will it become?

A flower head comprising a few hundred little flowers.

Also, is there any reason to NOT cut some of the green tops to use for onion
chives? Will it hurt the progress of the onion?

Probably won't hurt much. I'd cut off one or two complete leaves, not
nip the tips of all of them. Try it with a couple first.
--
John Savage (newsgroup email invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)