Topic: Losses of over wintering onions...

[saddad]

I've been folowing this on the other thread, and when tidying up mine yesterday noticed that I had lost more in the last week or so than over Winter itself..
some had clearly been eaten through, under the soil, just above the roots...
many were very loose and "high" as though heaved up by the frosts...
Could there be a link?
Did the frosts lift them so that the slugs could get in and do the damage, they usually just nibble the ends of the leaves... had the bulbs been frozen abd the slugs just eaten the damaged tissue?
What do people think?
 :-\

[BarriedaleNick]

I havent seen much slug action as yet - I am sure they are coming out of hiding but I my winter sets seem to be fine..
Not sure what else it could be tho...

[realfood]

I have seen damage caused by voles, could see their tooth marks on overwintering onions and shallots. They will eat anything at this time of year. Traps or poison is the only way to deal with this problem.

[Mr Smith]

   I'm in a similar position with my wintering onions half have disappeared and I have pulled all my caulies up, it might of been the winter we have had but I don't think I will be putting stuff in to over winter again apart from my garlic which is doing very nice, :)

[saddad]

I have seen damage caused by voles, could see their tooth marks on overwintering onions and shallots. They will eat anything at this time of year. Traps or poison is the only way to deal with this problem.

Not voles... almost like a tubular hole through the stem..  :-X

[lincsyokel2]

Well heres my theory; I think the ground froze, and ofc when anything freezes it expands. This effectively fluffed up the soil pushing the sets up. Being frozen solid also killed the growing sets.

When the ground thawed, and the sets thawed out, they rotted, as would any food left out the freezer.