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This year we decided to grow some red onions, normally we grow a couple of varieties of white ones. I bought sets but when I read the planting instructions it said the red ones are better planted "later". I wondered how late is later, if a plantwhite ones on a Sunday is Monday late enough for the reds. ??? ??? ;D

The advice with red sets is to wait until after the equinox (21st March) as they are daylight sensitive and less prone to bolting once there is more day than night.

The one year I grew red baron from sets I planted too early and pretty much lost the lot to bolting

spring equinox thing,  primitive calendar thingy, but it still works for a lot of veg!! ;)

Mine never had any date on,but I am sure I planted them well before middle of March, got a good crop anyway but what about the autumn red sets.I have 200 of them growing and they looked very good before the snow, not seem them since as they are still covered.

The red ones do bolt  faster than the whites and if the advice to prevent it is to plant them in mid March then it is worth taking. 

Just watch for the first one bolting and lift the lot as soon as possible after that even if they are a bit small.

Quote from: PurpleHeather on December 27, 2009, 06:32:37
The red ones do bolt  faster than the whites

Just watch for the first one bolting and lift the lot as soon as possible after that even if they are a bit small.

I wouldn't necessarily do that. I have found, in the past, that even though some bolt, the rest go on to produce respectably sized onions. So my advice would just be to keep a close eye on them if any bolt and whip them out if and when required.

I agree with you ,with nearly all onion sets you get one or two that bolt but I just use those for flavour and leave the rest to mature. I am just starting my last net bag of red onions .

I wouldn't necessarily do that. I have found, in the past, that even though some bolt, the rest go on to produce respectably sized onions. So my advice would just be to keep a close eye on them if any bolt and whip them out if and when required.
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the bolting has more to do with how  the onion sets are properly treated, if not they bolt. the to best way to avoid bolting is grow from seed or buy starter plants that have not bulbed

My autumn red onion sets "Radar" have been out in the ground since October, thought this was the right time to plant them, was I wrong?  Only time will tell

Dec 31st I have just taken this photo of my onion sets which were planted in October, the ones to the left are the red ones Radar,They were under deep snow for almost a week just before Christmas