Trimming Onions

[Argonaut]

Few questions here.

Been growing onions for years, and always just let them grow.
Seen a couple of comments & videos that you should cut stems back so there is no chance of them folding over … this forces energy into the bulb, producing much larger bulbs.

I planted over winter onions in Oct, they now have 10-12” stems, so should I be cutting these back to about 6"

I also planted shallots and various garlics, all from Allium family does this mean I should trim these as well ?

[Snoop Puss]

I've not heard that before and I've not done it either. Do you trust the source of the advice?

Like you, I just let onions grow. I find it hard to believe this advice is correct, as plants need their leaves to photosynthesise sunshine and make sugars, which they store in their swelling roots, bulbs and other parts. Cutting leaves - and especially at this time of year, when days are short and often not very bright - would just make this more difficult. It strikes me that anyone following this advice would end up with smaller rather than bigger onions.

I'll be very interested to hear if someone comes along and says it's a good idea. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say I'd eat my hat, but I only have the one and will be needing it this winter!

[ameno]

This advice sounds like nonsense, to me. Onions only grow leaves for a set period, anyway. Once days start getting shorter again they stop leaf growth.Onions need the leaves to swell the bulbs; the bulbs are made from more than just water.
Where would this "energy" that is supposedly being forced into the bulb even come from if you remove the leaves?

[Florence Fennel]

I've trimmed leeks at the planting stage, but never onions!

[Mark_Riga]

All I can think of is, as the bulbs are dying off, any extra long leaves could be trimmed a little so the leaves die still standing up allowing any nutrients in them to be absorbed better back into the bulbs but I don't think I would bother. Some books in the past said to bend them over and remove soil from around the bottom of the bulbs to quicken the ripening of the bulbs. I just let them do what they want.

[rary]

I have heard of this before but think for doing that is in the growing period, not sure it would work going into winter, but will ask about that on Tuesday at my next garden club meeting