A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 onions

I started red onions in the house with plans to get them outside soon...then we got a bunch of snow so I'll wait a week or two.

Anyway, I was told to trim the shoots as they're growing. Does anyone do this? If so, why? And if I do so, how much do I trim them back?

christinac
ive never heard of this before.
the closest thing i can think of is trimming leeks when planting, this is normaly done in conjunction with trimming the roots before planting out with a dibber.
its a new one to me!

Hi Christinac,
I've been growing onions from seeds for a couple of years now.I start mine about the middle of February under lights in the basementThey are Ailsa Craig Exhibition #205 from Stokes seeds in Ont.
It says on the back of the package:-
Clip seedlings when they are 5 in/13cm.tall-to 3ins/8cm.to thicken plants.
I"ve used the same on Kelsae Giants,Yellow Globe Danvers and Stockade
Dave

Thanks Dave!!!

I too have them growing under lights. They are definitely almost 5in tall.
I get my seeds from T and T seeds out of Winnipeg..so far I've had great results with all my seeds from there but this is my first with onions.

Thanks again!!

Dave's right, when you clip the tops, it forces the plants to grow new "leaves" making the plant thicker.

I haven't tried it on mine yet, but they say that cutting the tops of shallots to use as green "onions" actually makes the shallots grow larger.

Well I just clipped my shallots. Hope it helps them stay happy and healthy.

In fact I got so excited I went out and clipped the garlic, chives and green onions to. Hope I didn't go to far.

Hi
Next time I clip my Onions I think I'll take a nice HOT slice of my homemade bread a good cup a TEA and have them as lunch
Dave

yummy!!! Sounds good to me!! How many onions you have growin' Dave?

Hi,
Don't grow to many now.Got about 3 Doz Alisa Craig 7 Doz Stockade onion plants 10 Doz Tomatoe plant 5 different varietys. I plant about 30 onions and 18 tomatoes give the rest away
Dave

Well that's more than me. I only have 15 red onions...I think that outta' be enough for me.
I have 25 tomato plants growing but I won't be keeping all of them. Like you, I'll be giving some away. I could certainly use all of them but I just don't have the room...(yet)

Christina

As long as we're talking about onions, I have a question. I don't understand what happens between green onions (scallions) and the big round bulb.
Is it different plants or it it leaving the plant in the ground longer so it forms the onion?
Also, one time I saw a neighbor's onions come back.
Made more green onions and more bulbs. You mean if you just snip the tops for use as green onions, the bulb either multiplies or gets bigger?
The plant sent up pretty flowers too, white, that dried on the plant and were even prettier. This was in a neglected garden that I used to water once in awhile when I could.

Debra, you're right about the scallions and bulb (cooking) onions. Same thing..like you said, just leave 'em in the ground much longer to form the bulb.

The bulb wont multiply if it's snipped...

About the onions coming back..I too am curious about that.

The bulb won't multiply if it is snipped? I wasn't sure what you meant. Do you mean if you accidentally cut the bulb? Or it won't multiply if you trim off tops (scallions) to eat? By multiply, do you mean the bulb getting bigger, or making little bulblets?
The one I saw come back, I meant that the bulb part had never been harvested, and greens came up again. I'm assuming that the bulb just got even bigger. I never dug it up, it was a neighbor's.

I have ornamental onions that are perennial. Could that be the type you are thinking of?