Topic: white rot advice please

[small]

For the third year white rot has devastated my onions - I've tried at both ends and in the middle of my plot (within my garden) and it's clearly everywhere. My question is, how far from this infected area do I need to go to ensure I find a clean patch? I can go as far as 70 metres if needed.  And a supplementary question - I would be de-turfing and using a currently mown area, so I guess I'll need to add something - I initially composted some rotted onion before I really realised what was going on, will the rot have lived on in thoroughly 'made' compost?  I know I'll need to be very careful cleaning tools and footwear between the areas.

[Buster54]

Found this

This is a serious fungal disease caused by Sclerotium cepivorum, which affects all members of the Allium or Onion family. The fungus grows on the roots of the plant, causing them to rot. The leaves show yellowing and wilting due to the lack of roots. The bulbs remain in a stunted form with most roots and the basal plate rotted away. A white fluffy mould covers any of the outer skin which is underground.
It persists as small, dormant structures called sclerotia, which can remain in the soil for up to 15 years and are very easily transferred to other sites, even on the soles of shoes. Infested areas must not be used again for growing onions or garlic for about 15 years.
Infected plants should be removed and destroyed by burning or sealed in bags for dumping - never place on the compost heap. Any remaining bulbs should be well spaced to reduce the chance of them being affected. It can be brought in on onion sets and garlic cloves so some growers raise their crops from seed instead.
There is no chemical control for gardeners. Fortunately the fungus is very specific in what it grows on so other types of crops can be grown in the area, but if space allows it would reduce the possibility of carryover to put the area down to permanent planting instead, eg. fruit bushes, rhubarb or asparagus. Any tools used for cultivation should be disinfected, or perhaps separate ones kept for working the affected soil.

[lincsyokel2]

I wonder if scraping the top six inches of soil off, then  pouring bleach over the area will work.

Honey Fungus is a similar thing, its a fungus that kills trees. It travels by black threads that travel underground from tree to tree, up to thirty feet. When you get honey fungus, you chop down the tree and burn it all, root out the stump and burn it. Then you dig a hole round where the tree was, and remove and dump somewhere nowhere near any other trees all the soil from the hole, which needs to be ten feet by ten feet and one yard deep. Then line the walls (but not the floor)  of the hole with black plastic which will biodegrade in five years, and then you fill with fresh sterilised topsoil, and dont plant a tree there for five years.

SOmething on a smaller scale might work. Wonder how far down the white rot filaments go.

[realfood]

Why not try the organic solution which I am trialling at the moment? My alliums are still looking good but they still have several weeks to go before lifting. You have nothing to lose. See the details here:- www.growyourown.info/page173.html

[hippydave]

A friend on our allotment could not grow onions because of white rot so i suggested lending here one of my raised beds which we lined with weed suppressing membrane before filling with compost and soil conditioner and then planting the onions in it,
I had a look at them last night and they are going great guns i gave them a tug but they are well rooted and no sign of rot, but the neighbours onions only a few feet away have all been lifted early because they all have white rot, so this could be one way of trying to out wit the white rot. We will have to see the final out come in a few months but it seems to be working at the moment.

[djbrenton]

I did kill white rot in a bed once using Armillatox but it's not a cheap method.

[manicscousers]

We're trying raising the bed by a foot, thick cardboard on the bottom, hot manure on top, then compost. This will be a hot bed next year then we will try onions in it september next year, just to see  :)

[small]

Thanks for the replies - so do you reckon I am safe to start a new bed about 50 metres away as long as I am careful not to contaminate from my main area? I must get my leeks in asap!

[goodlife]

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so do you reckon I am safe to start a new bed about 50 metres away ..one can only try..who knows..you may be lucky and have yourself 'clean' growing area.

[lincsyokel2]

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so do you reckon I am safe to start a new bed about 50 metres away ..one can only try..who knows..you may be lucky and have yourself 'clean' growing area.

Might pay to dig a small separating trench to stop spore transmission though the ground.

[darkbrowneggs]

I did kill white rot in a bed once using Armillatox but it's not a cheap method.

Hi there - what did you do, and do you think it is a permanent solution to the white rot problem??

I love my onions, but think I am too late to stop spreading it round the veg garden as I have not been careful with where I have put the weeds and trimmings from the onions.  I think I got it around 3 year ago from some red onion set purchased from the local Countrywide stores, and now realise I wasn't careful enough.  I think the leeks got it last year too, it that likely??  And leeks are another of my favourites  :(

Many thanks
Sue

[pumkinlover]

Leeks can get it but seem less susceptible.  I've lost onions and garlic often but leeks only one very wet year.

I will definatly try the garlic spray method before planting next year.

[djbrenton]

I did kill white rot in a bed once using Armillatox but it's not a cheap method.

Hi there - what did you do, and do you think it is a permanent solution to the white rot problem??

I love my onions, but think I am too late to stop spreading it round the veg garden as I have not been careful with where I have put the weeds and trimmings from the onions.  I think I got it around 3 year ago from some red onion set purchased from the local Countrywide stores, and now realise I wasn't careful enough.  I think the leeks got it last year too, it that likely??  And leeks are another of my favourites  :(

Many thanks
Sue

Armillatox can kill the white rot in situ. It can also kill honey fungus and many other fungal diseases. Dilute 100:1 and drench the ground at a gallon a sq yard before digging then again after digging. You can plant a month later. You need to be careful not to reinfect the ground by walking it back on from other areas.

[chriscross1966]

I'm going to try the garlic spary thign round where my beans are ATM (and where next years onions will go.... hopefully it will be effective though I have the option of growing onions at home next year, I don't want to have to do that every year as I only have three smallish beds at home, onions is a crop fo the two allotments....

[tim]

As discussed elsewhere, tried Armillatox years ago exactly to the spec - failed!

And even if you succeed in killing the spores, you should not plant there next year. So you don't know that you have killed the spores??!!

Raised beds? As mentioned elsewhere, yes, but a new one every year!!