Topic: Onion problems

[muddylou]

Last year I had problems with my onions, undersized with curly foliage so I asked for advice and was told to use photrogen which I did and it sorted out the problem. This year my overwinter onions are very good but the spring planted ones are spindly with curled foliage (the garlic alongside appear fine) I've used phostrogen again along with other feeds but to no avail.
All my other veg is doing well so I don't think its a problem with the soil, does anyone have any other ideas.

Thanks.

[goodlife]

I wonder if your onions have got some virus ...is so there is nothing you can do about it..just wait and see if they will produce new healthy growth.. if not well you have 2 options..leave and see and use what you can..or rip it up and dispose.. ::)
Are these from set or seed?
..but if your crop did same last year I would suspect that there is either something wrong with stock=sets/seed or something with soil..inbalance or nutrients or it is caused either insect or physical 'damage'..
Any photos available?

[w00dy]

Id guess at white rot, the fungus attacks the roots and causes stunted growth and also deformed mishapened curly leaves.

[davyw1]

If the leaves are twisted and swollen it may be ealworm

[chriscross1966]

Does sound a bit more like eelworm than white rot, you'd have noticed white rot last year, it's too distinctive, whereas leelworm just messes the plants around without the major external symptoms..... THe other thing it could be is weedkiller spraydrift, I can't remember which one it is but some alliums are horrib ly sensitive to one of the common household weedkiller mixes. I managed to mess up my garlic with some last year, and it just sort of retreated back into the cloves... I've now got what seems to be a healthy crop of volunteer garlic coming up in places......

chrisc

[muddylou]

Thanks for the replies, I have garlic growing alongside the onions, would white rot damage garlic as they appear fine? Also my overwinter onions are swelling up nicely, would white rot only be in a certain part of the plot. How would I check for eelworm if I give up and pull the lot up. Sorry for sounding like a complete dunderhead.

[chriscross1966]

White rot can be very localised and spreads fairly slowly, your garlic would be susceptible to white rot but possibly not eelworm as it varies, though nearly all alliums get white rot

[muddylou]

Well I bit the bullet and pulled two of the onions with the curliest leaves, I've been browsing the internet looking up onion disease's. I didn't know what to expect anyway, to my surprise I had two perfectly formed bulbs with good strong root systems. The bulbs were small looking for reassurance I took them over to one of the old boys, he told me some of his sometimes do the same (he blamed the weather in Spring and type of soil) but that I had nothing to worry about. Feel much better and thanks to all who replied.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Try slicing one of the onions up. If you find a maggot or a pupa in the bulb it's onion fly.