This topic contains 5 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by charles 8 years, 10 months ago.
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Hi Charles
The leaves on many of my onions are dying and the bulbs are either loose in the ground or have become dislodged from the soil with little root visible. Most are reasonably solid.
I received the sets in the Autumn from Kings Seeds, the suppliers to the allotment. I kept them in the dark in an unheated bedroom before planting in late March, covering them with fleece to keep the birds off while they rooted. They had been growing well until recently.
The photo is from the end of May when they were growing well.
Thank you
John
John, it could be white rot and that is bad news, if roots are decayed, white mould around the bulbs, leaves more yellow than green, and a fast change. Best recycled or burnt and be careful not to spread infected material around.
Usually its from spores in the soil not the sets.It sounds like your plot is full of white rot. Leeks also suffer it.
Yes I mean send to recycling for a hot compost to kill the spores, yours may recycle it to your plot.
Well done on keeping positive, its amazing how many problems there can be, yet mostly we harvest.Hello John
I am very sympathetic as I lost my garlic to white rot a couple of weeks ago and today found my spring planted onions have it too! It is such a blow. I had already planted my leeks in the same bed so I think I will now move them as far away as possible and hope they stay clean. It is the long term effects too that are troublsome.
It is a good idea to clean tools, gloves, boots etc that might have come in contact with the onions to stop it spreading.
I am wondering whether to crush some uninfected garlic, mix with water and water on the infected bed. The theory is to trigger the fungus but it can’t grow as there are no plants. Evidently, once triggered, it can’t grow again. Another idea I read, was to chop up uninfected onions and spread over the bed, again to trigger the fungus, but it will not be able to get a hold as the onion bits will wither and die. Might be worth considering. Has anyone tried this?
On the bright side, the strawberry harvest continues to be fabulous!!
Black fly seem to be rampant in our part of Essex – even on my parsnips and another plotholder’s beetroot as well as the usual beans!
Yes BigD its the same here with blackly, they are on the stems of flowers and my runner beans.
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