Overwintering onions and mildew

[GinamcconMember]

I’ve decided not to grow overwintering onions either from seeds or sets this winter due to mildew spreading to my spring sown onions this year. Can overwintering spring onions carry the disease? I’m just trying to think of how the bridge the onion gap next year. What does everone else do? Thanks in advance. Gina

[charlesModerator]

 Hello Gina, yes mildew vexes me too but this year is much less present, so one probably could have grown the over-wintering onions. I think for mildew to develop a lot, it needs repeated rain in late May and June, which was absent this year thank goodness. In moisture at that time of year, any spores on the overwintered onions can breed. But spores also live in soil I fear so possibly, like a lot of growing, there is an element of gambling with the weather.

I grow White Lisbon spring onions, enough for salad onions and also some to bulb up in June. Sow late August, they resist mildew quite well.

[ashleighParticipant]

i have been growing white lisbon spring onions and apache purple ones. i didn’t know you could leave them longer to bulb up. how big do they get and when do you harvest them if sown in late august?

incidentally the compost in my no-dig beds has been a bit too loose for the spring onions – they have grown well enough, but not straight, they are bent! same with some of the direct sown leeks. i guess i should be treading the compost down more before sowing?

[charlesModerator]

 Yes Ashleigh its a new dance you can do! In dry weather I am often firming beds if the compost/manure looks loose and my feet are good for breaking up lumps. For example three days ago I spread some compost and then one or two days later, when the surface had dried and it was not squishy, I walked it to a nice tilth.

Spring onions are just onions which make nice spring leaves so you can harvest them at any stage. White bulb onions keep less well than yellow ones, I like them in summer salads.

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