When onions start to flower , it means they are in the outgrowth of go off . Bolting is a lifelike reply to changes in the environment , such as temperature fluctuations or day distance . While it may be dissatisfactory to see your onions bloom , there are a few steps you could take to manage this situation .
1 . Remove the flower : The first choice is to cut off the flower on top of the onion . This will foreclose the works from using its energy to grow come and airt it towards electric-light bulb development instead . By removing the bloom , you are basically telling the plant to focus on growing the bulb rather than multiply .
2 . Cut the intact bolting base : If your onion has already develop a retentive bow with a flower on top , you’re able to choose to write out the entire stem . This may seem drastic , but it is an effective way to stop the onion from producing seed . By rid of the unfolding stem , you boost the plant to take its energy towards the bulb , which is what you ultimately want .
3 . bequeath the onion in the primer coat : After removing the flower or disregard the stem , you may go away the Allium cepa in the ground for a few weeks . Although the Allium cepa wo n’t continue to bulb or rise heavy , it will remain in the land and can still be used later . This is particularly useful if you have other onion that are not beetle off and need more clock time to age .
4 . harvest home and use the onion : If you do n’t want to allow for the onion in the primer , you’re able to also glean it straightaway after withdraw the heyday or foreshorten the stem . While the bulb may not have reached its full potential , it can still be used in cooking . Young Allium cepa can be quite flavorful and can add together a saucy mouthful to your dishes .
5 . Preventing bolting in the future : To derogate the chances of your onion make off , you’re able to take a few preventative metre . Planting onion plant varieties that are less prostrate to bolting , such as forgetful - day types , can help . to boot , providing uniform and optimal uprise conditions , such as nerveless temperatures and tolerable water , can reduce the likeliness of bolting .
Remember that onions are biennials , meaning they have a two - yr life round . In their 2d yr , they naturally go through the go off process to reproduce . However , by removing the flower or cutting the stem , you’re able to redirect the plant ’s vim towards bulb development and still enjoy a harvest , albeit modest than expect .
Personal experience : I have encountered bolt onion plant in my own garden several meter . Initially , I was unsure how to deal with them and feel disappointed that my Allium cepa were not form great bulbs . However , after researching and experimenting , I see that dispatch the flower or abbreviate the shank can avail salvage the situation . I have successfully used bolting onion plant in cooking and ascertain that they still add together a delightful flavour to dishes , even if they are not as heavy as desired .
Caroline Bates
