Topic: when are onions ready to harvest

[russweth]

as a a new allotment holder i planted Japanese onion sets last year but most have grown to big and split in two! i dont make the same mistake, when is the tell tale sign i can i lift onion sets planted in April This year i've grown  red onions they seem a good size now but one of my allotment friends say the tops should be bent down for a afew weeks  before harvest.

[Bjerreby]

Maybe things have changed, but I'd say onions grown from sets normally split into several bulbs. It is natural.

At the end of their growing season onion leaves turn yellow and flop over. Leave them for another 2 weeks or so, then take them out for drying.

[Digeroo]

onions grown from sets normally split into several bulbs

My shallots have split into several bulbs but all of my onions only a single bulb.  Mine bend over and I have tipped them out for drying, but mostly because I wanted the space for something else. 

[GodfreyRob]

Maybe things have changed, but I'd say onions grown from sets normally split into several bulbs. It is natural.

This is only true for Shallots - 'normal' onions just give you 1 bulb per set planted.

At the end of their growing season onion leaves turn yellow and flop over. Leave them for another 2 weeks or so, then take them out for drying.

Agree with this bit - the stems will fold over by themselves (unless the bulb has developed a thick neck and these won't fold over). Some people like to pull them out of the ground and leave them on the soil surface with their root side facing the sun - said to help 'ripen' them so they store longer.

If its wet weather when its time to pull them up, then wash off any soil and leave them somewhere to dry off properly (greenhouse staging is good for this). Discard any dry/mouldy leaves - taking care not to damage the main bulb when pulling them off. Then put them in an old carrot sack (or similar) and hang then somewhere cool, dry and with good ventilation. This way they will keep right htrough the winter.

[midnightvelvet]

I've been wondering the same thing too....mine are starting to grow flower buds although they aren't falling over or gone yellow yet?? 

[shirlton]

Ours had not all fallen over but we didn't want them to spoil so we ousted them and they are now drying with a tarpaulin cover above them to stop them getting wet. The swift onions were much smaller and still erect so we have left them in to see if they will put on a bit of weight(wont be growing them again) We like them to be out for early July.

[cornykev]

A lot of people on our site bend them over, I think they said to stop the goodness from giving any more growth to the greenery and to the onion instead.      ???   :-\      ;D ;D ;D