overwintering onions - ready?

[pigeonseed]

Hi

I planted senshyu onion sets in nov and they're now quite biggish onions. but the`leaves are still green. i can see some flowers coming. should i harvest and dry the onions or leave ... for what sign of ripeness?

[pigeonseed]

[cambourne7]

your lucky although mine are starting to bulb there still tiny tiny

[mc55]

mine are miserably small. They have been sulking and sculking all winter / spring, I don't think I'll bother with them next year.  Will be surprised if I'm even pulling them by August.

[kt.]

My over wintering onions are smallish. Some are starting to go to to seed. I intend to pull these tomorrow. Best having small onions than none at all. ;)

[cambourne7]

yep mine was seed sown in situ, but i will give it one more go this time i might start them off in the mini greenhourse in Oct and plant out in Nov and see if that helps. I am going to leave mine as there next to garlic and i dont need the space yet.

[Robert_Brenchley]

My overwinterers are bulbing up nicely, but they're stil green. Give them time, it's only May.

[Tinkie_Bear]

My overwintering onions are smaller than the sets I put in a month or so ago - I don't think i'll bother again.

Helen

[Robert_Brenchley]

They should have gone in last October! Are you sure they're an overwintering variety? My traditional onions are still very small, but they won't be ready till July.

[cambourne7]

yes the ones i have for next year are specially bred for sowing mid-late August to mature in the following July. But the ones i planted this year went in at the time on the pack.

[Hyacinth]

As KT has said, if they're starting to go to seed, pull 'em up :)  Seems that they've achieved a goodish size too? Gotta be good...

My red onions from sets are finally bulking up after sitting for weeks doing nothing. I'm (finally) well-pleased with the way they're looking.

[Tee Gee]

This was my Jap onions three days ago;

[RobinOfTheHood]

Similar to mine, but less weeds!    :P

[kt.]

This was my Jap onions three days ago;

Thats what mine are like. The ones with the bulbs/heads as in your picture are the ones I intend to pull up tomorrow.

[Marymary]

 Mine aren't bulbing yet either & the sets planted in MArch are much bigger - I had already decided not to bother with overwintering ones next year.

[caroline7758]

Mine are sitting on the surface, not very big and had to remove lots of flowering shoots today. Like others, think I might not bother next year.

[baggieboy]

So far we have had a few failures, Brocoli , Cauli , Bruss sprouts (very leggy). But our onions we planted in oct/nov lookin good . I been picking the big ones as I read somewhere they don't keep as long.



ready for a salad

[manicscousers]

some of the red onions have gone to seed, the white ones are ok..this is the third year overwintering red onions have done this..it's going to be white ones in autumn  ??? :)

[Deb P]

My first year of overwintering onions too, I'm not sure how big they are supposed to get!! They are about 3-4" in diameter at the moment, all the foliage is still very green and healthy.

Here are my white onions....



Here are some of the Red Baron, (they are not as big as the white onions) with Elephant garlic and Egyptian Walking onions in the other half of the bed....

[pigeonseed]

Egyptian Walking onions in the other half of the bed....

sorry I can't let you slip that one past - walking onions? from egypt? Do tell more.

[pigeonseed]

actually a lot of my senshyu are bigger than some of these ones in the pics, so maybe it's time to eat them.

I'm getting the impression that if you leave onions to flower, that spoils the onions in some way, is that right?