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Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: petefj on July 31, 2012, 19:08:10

Title: Thick neck in onions
Post by: petefj on July 31, 2012, 19:08:10
This year a lot of my onions both main crop and over-wintering varieties have suffered from "thick neck".

Looking up the complaint on the Internet I've come up with the following suggestions as to the cause of thick neck.
One site suggested that a lack of phosphorous could be to blame.  One site suggested that planting too deep could cause it, and one site said that too much compost is the cause.

Has anyone on this Forum got any real evidence as to the cause of this complaint in the allium family?

Thanks,

Peter :-[ :-[ :-[
Title: Re: Thick neck in onions
Post by: goodlife on July 31, 2012, 19:38:00
Wrong NPK balance of nutrient certainly has effect to 'thick neck'..it is not so much of 'too much compost' but too much nitrogen or lack of other that indeed does it.
My friend who 'loves' collecting horse poo..makes huge compost bins full of 'compost' that also include 'tons' of chicken muck. He empties his bin every year and this means that he spreads 3-4 inches yearly of this rich 'compost' on the ground. The problem is that he only grows onions..and majority of his onions are huge with thick necks.
I've told him time and time again what is causing the problem but he is not packing up with his 'lovely muck'  ::)
I've even tried to suggest him growing some spuds to give the ground some relief from all those nutrients but no...just onions..and he has chickens running free all over the place adding ever more fresh 'stuff'.

So question is..how much and what fertilizer did you add into ground ?
Wood ash is good for onions and will help with bulb formation..mixed with bit of damp spent compost to stop the ash being blown all over the place and sprinkled on the ground when the base of the plants are just starting to thicken.
Ash is very quick acting so added earlier than that and its wasted.
Title: Re: Thick neck in onions
Post by: davyw1 on July 31, 2012, 20:32:57
Give him a print out

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090216011736AAVwqKn
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