What is the life cycle of an onion?

Question

A weird one I know. Is the onion bulb? If so what grows from it? An onion plant? I don't know help me out.

Answer 1

Onion (Allium cepa) starts life as a small black seed. The seed is planted in early spring and grows in the normal way. On the solstice (21st June) when days begin to shorten, the plant begins to form a bulb. When the weather begins to cool down and the days begin to shorten further, growth slows down and eventually stops. The following spring, growth begins again, fuelled from the bulb which is a storage organ facilitating this stage of growth. In the first available period of suitable warmth and daylength, the plant flowers and if it can, produces seed. So the cycle begins again.

Commercial onion sets are frequently heat treated to prevent them from flowering which would spoil the vegetable.

A cold spell followed by a warm spell can confuse onions into thinking there has been a winter and it is now time to flower, this is called bolting and the crop is spoiled.

Answer 2

Here's a basic description of the biennial nature of the onion:

http://www.wildeklawer.com/onions/clever_onion.htm

Answer 3

starts as a seed and grows into a bulb then ends up in a jar of vinegar