Allotments 4 All

Being as everyone is talking onions at the moment and I am trying shallots for the first time this year what is everyones views on bolting?

Quite a lot of my red onions bolted last year - we ate these fresh rather than store them. How can you avoid them bolting, is it just a case of planting later?

Because the stem in garlic does not attach to the bulb as with an onion does it matter if garlic bolts?

What happens with shallots are they the same as garlic or will they bolt like onions?

So many questions

Ian

Red onions seem more susceptible to bolting than whites, the main cause appearing to be temperature variations that make the plant think it is in its second year of growth. Flowering with garlic is normal and not considered a problem. I am not sure on shallots.

Google is helpful ...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=onions+bolting&meta=

Heat treated onion sets are 'less likely to bolt'

Bolted alliums will not keep.

De-head bolting garlic - except for varieties that are meant to flower.

Bolting shallots are fairly unusual in our experience.

Some shallotts are supposed to be planted later than others (Sante?) -but even these didn't bolt for me when planted early.

As I understand it, with garlic, Soft Neck types don't flower but Hard Neck types will flower. (It is not so much a flower though as a stalk with small bulbils on at the top.)

You can leave the flower but it does divert energy from the developing cloves under ground so is best to remove.

The "flowering" has no effect on storage or taste qualities un like onions where it is best to eat the bolted onions first.

HTH

Jerry