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Ok stupid question. I have both white and red oniions - looking good - seem to be bulbing out. Do you just pick them when they look a good size? I have seen that you should put them out in the sun to dry a bit before storage (I dont think we're going to have any sun now for a while) but how do you know when they are ready to do that?
Thanks

Mine keeled over by themselves (bent over at the neck) and the outer layer of skin started to brown slightly, so I prised them out of the ground and left them to dry on the soil for a couple of days, then hung them in my greenhouse to dry out further when it looked like raining. You can of course use them at any point if you need to!

Don't bend over the tops - let them do it by themselves.  Drying is going to be a problem at the moment  :( :( :( :( :(

The first sign is the tips of the leaves will turn yellowish as they die back.

Providing they are not diseased or thick necked I leave them till the tops are all more or less flat on the ground.

 Ok stupid answer!!!  ;D They just smell great and look brownish covered in sunflower oil. (and sizzling hot) :)

TeeGee - when you say thick necked, how thick are we talking, as some of ours look pretty hefty?  :-\

I have a few red onions that are bolting.

Can I just lift them and eat the stalk as well as the bulb, just like a spring onion ?

Quote from: Baaaaaaaa on June 21, 2007, 01:51:23
I have a few red onions that are bolting.

Can I just lift them and eat the stalk as well as the bulb, just like a spring onion ?

we've been doing that, baaaa, the stalk's a bit coarse but it cooks down  :)

Quotewhen you say thick necked, how thick are we talking

You can't really decide until they have stopped growing and the tops have keeled over.

As a rule of thumb; if when they keel over they bend at the top of the onion this is best, conversely when they bend over a few inches up the stem these are deemed 'thick necked'

You will also notice when you have lifted them and are preparing them for storing the neck is virtually non existent (see picture below) whereas thick necked ones remain.......thick necked!! These should be eaten first as they dont store very well.

Wow teegee, those onions look fantastic! I will wait till they start to keel over then - a lot do look broad necked at the moment but hope that might change then. Thanks for all the advice from everyone.

A related question- how do you tell which is a flower stem starting, so that you can snap it off before the bud starts to form?

I had one right at the front that was just like your one TG and some buggers nicked it.  :( >:( :'(