Garlic White Rot and Rust

[Big DParticipant]

Hi Charles

Had to pull the garlic at the weekend as it was looking very yellow, rusty and dying. Even more bad news when I lifted the bulbs as they seem to have white rot, which I have never had before. Can’t think what went wrong as I really tried to nuture them well this year, watering during dry periods and regular hoeing during the growing season. Really disappointed at having no crop and unable to grow alliums on the bed for a number of years I believe.

Any ideas how I can stop this happening next year? Ourallotment soil is clay but has been cultivated for the past two hundred years and I have been practising no dig for 2-3 years. I didn’t put manure on this patch last autumn as potatoes had been grown there previously and they were manured before they went in. I don’t think it can have been in the soil as I am pretty sure this part of the allotment was left fallow for several years before I took it over.

Any advice gratefully received!

[charlesModerator]

Sorry to hear this, it sounds unlucky, are the bulbs all soft with bright, white fungus? Possibly the seed was infected (though unlikely) or white rot was in the soil as it can persist several years. White rot is horrible because however well you grow a plant, if the fungus is present it will do the damage.
However I do think no dig helps, by at least not spreading fungal spores during digging. I had white rot in a few areas at Lower Farm and it never increased, even diminished. In your case, I don’t know how you can find a definitely-clean bed on your plot, somehow you need to find a bit of ground elsewhere.

[RhysParticipant]

The worst case scenario might be to grow a few in 30cm pots??

[Author]

Posts