Absolutely gutted - over wintering onion and garlic bed affected. So that area is now out of bounds for alliums for years. The soil is quite heavy and was quite wet for a while in the winter, but I was so looking forward to harvesting them, esp as last year we had wonderful onions.
The only good thing to come out of it all, is that I need the space for the brassicas which will get some lime. Apparently oinon rot doesn't like lime - is there anything else it doesn't like?
Do you mean white rot?
These onions were fine a few weeks ago. I think it may be eel worm according to the book. If anyone else has any ideas I would be gratefull. These have been grown on a new plot that hasn't been used for years
I probably do mean white rot,Tim. Anyway, what ever rot it is, it has rotted alot of the garlic - it just came away in my hands when I pulled them up. Some of the onions seem OK at the moment, but will start harvesting them anyway.
That's nasty, Shirlton. something nasty could have been sprayed/put in/on the ground before you took it over.
oh that's white rot...i have it too...my onions are ok though but my garlic is a waste again this year. i'm not even going to try it again next year... i think white rot is the worst disease...
Been to the plot today and looked at everyones onions and they all have it, even the old hands. Talking to one old fella and he reckons it's all over Brum. Somehow I don't feel so bad now. Still open to ways to stop the problem though. Surely some of you old codgers can come up with the solution LOL
My spring-planted onions may not be much, but I've never seen anything like those! It's certainly not 'all over' my site.
Well Robert , according to my contacts it's in Sutton, Erdington, The Barn allotments.Witton. I just want to know how to stop the bloomin thing whatever it is
Unfortunately there is no cure for White Rot once its in your soil it can be there for up to 15 years.
The only possible alternative is to import soil/compost and grow them in things like fish boxes. Thats all i can suggest
Have you lifted any of those distorted onions to see what's below?
Could the distorted leaves, dying back from the tips, be thrips?
Shirlton, Did you put fresh manure on your onion bed before planting if so you may just have drooping leave Do as Robert suggest and pull one or two to check. You will certainly know if it is white rot
Well Davy I just hope that it is the manure. Everyone knows I only took the plot in Oct last year and also my muck heap. Well rotted is hard to get hold of so I guess that some of it was pretty fresh stuff. I spread it quite thickly all over the plot except where I was gonna put the roots.We will see next year when I use the same muck when it's matured. I'm gonna pull one up and have a look and see if there is anything visible. Thanks for your advice
I have had a good look at the picture and the more I look the more confused I get ???
I am not so sure about 'White rot' but I wouldn't count it out.
If it is white rot the onions look OK until you lift them then if you press the base plate you will find a smelly gooey sludge which goes right to the centre of the bulb.
To discuss your picture; the onion next to the tuft of grass (bottom front) looks like it is suffering from 'Mildew.
The one immediately above it looks more like a shallot suggesting it has been got at possibly by Onion fly.
If it is 'fly' you should find maggots eating away at it just below soil level.
Did you plant setts or seed?
If you are lifting one could you take a picture of it cut top to bottom (not across) this way we will be able to see the base plate and leaf growth in detail.
Sorry I can't be of more help lets keep an open mind until we have a cross sectional picture!
As well advised - look & see?
If it looks anything like this, don't let it touch ANYTHING else - & STERILISE your tools. The stem is not necessarily black.
BUT, I does not look typical of white rot to me.
More pictures here - www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm7744
Quote from: shirlton on May 27, 2007, 09:25:45
Well Davy I just hope that it is the manure. Everyone knows I only took the plot in Oct last year and also my muck heap. Well rotted is hard to get hold of so I guess that some of it was pretty fresh stuff. I spread it quite thickly all over the plot except where I was gonna put the roots.We will see next year when I use the same muck when it's matured. I'm gonna pull one up and have a look and see if there is anything visible. Thanks for your advice
The reason i asked, if you put fresh manure in you may be lucky and only have leaf droop which means they may be OK with a high nitrogen feed, but i like the rest wait in anticipation for a photo hoping its not white rot
Tim, what is the best way to sterilise all my tools? I had visions of having a different set for each lottie.
Hello Shirlton - those onions look just like mine - my shallots are the same. I'm also in the W Midlands and have heard that this is becoming a real problem. I don't think it's white rot, some other problem, but I wish I knew what is was and how to cure it. I will really miss the onions and shallots. Does any one know the problem? Also should I just dig them up and dispose of them or do they stand any chance of recovery
QuoteDoes any one know the problem?
From the picture and description given I don't know!!
Still awaiting a picture of a cross section of an affected onion, and for that matter a garlic as well!
For want of any other advice, I use Armillatox.
Thanks, Tim
Well folks here are some pics of other peoples onions, some have used manure others have not. Japs havent been affected, they have just run up to seed due to the weather. All these pics are of spring sewn sets. I have done some pics of spliced bulbs and on the last one which is a shallot ther was a tiny slug anda few tiny white maggots. If you blow the last pic up a bit you will see it at bottom left of the shallot
Well, at least there's no sign of white rot.
Re pictures above ...
not convinced, ie speculating ...
but what about stem and bulb nematode? (mainly from the stem distortion).
You need an expert view really.
I'm sticking to my original statement...........I think it is Onion fly more so now that you have found a maggot.
I think it is a bit early in the year but I think 'global warming' has something to do it.
When you think the weather in April was warmer than some July/August weather of the past,( the time I would expect onion fly)
The fly doesn't know if it is coming or going and if you have planted out sooner than usual then ideal conditions were quite probably produced.
What I think regarding the twisted leaves is; and this is only an opinion, the fly got into the young growth( at the neck of the set) before the leaves matured and it affected them.
Normally I would expect onion fly to be much later i.e. when the onion leaf system is more mature and consequently less likely to be affected as much, if at all!
In normal years the signs of the flies presence is more likely to be wilting of the leaves as the root system and base of the onion/s is eaten away by the maggots.
I am aware that eelworm has similar symptoms but there was no sign of them in the stem!
Just as a matter of interest when did you plant out?
In my case I did not plant out till the 5th of April which was the start of the warm spell so my conditions were not similar to yours.
There is one consolation; I am fairly certain it is not Onion White rot!! so at least your ground won't be contaminated.
As I said this is only an opinion based on experience/s
Thankyou so much for the advice TeeGEE. I'm pleased that it isn't white rot. What you said about the warm weather makes good sense. We planted them out in march. I have noticed that a couple of folks on both of our sites were late in planting theirs and they don't seem so bad.Do you think that it's worth growing them under enviromesh if we get another Spring like this next year or is there some other deterant.
What if anything could be planted in the position when the onions are removed. Cucumbers?
Not a sign of rot there. I'm inclined to put it down to the peculiar weather, and if you're finding maggots, then it could well be onion fly.
Quote from: tim on May 29, 2007, 16:56:49
For want of any other advice, I use Armillatox.
Thanks Tim. I have some Armillatox thats in a plain bottle that I got from the shed. What strength do you use and how long after can the area be replanted.
QuoteDo you think that it's worth growing them under enviromesh if we get another Spring like this next year or is there some other deterent.
Personally I would plant them later but I see no reason why you can't cover them.
Oddly enough I covered mine this year with fleece but not for 'fly protection' in my case it was simply to keep the cats off the bed.
QuoteWhat if anything could be planted in the position when the onions are removed. Cucumbers?
Are we talking Summer or Autumn sown onions?
I generally follow my Autumn onions & garlic with winter greens.
After the summer onions I winter dig & muck spread the bed............too late to put anything else in!!
I'm intending to get these infected onions up as soon as possible and didn't want to leave the ground empty until the end of the year or next year. I thought maybe I could get a quick crop of something. I am going to put the onions somewhere else anyway in future just in case and I will probably cover them.
I would have thought like Tee Gee about onion fly being early but that looks as if it what you have.
Also i don,t think putting fresh manure on an Onion Bed is a good idea.
When you come to get them out remember that not all you onions will be infected with it.
Picture of what you onions look like when infected by the fly, compare this to your onions
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r111/stumpinsci/onionfly.jpg)
My top Plot has white rot... so not grown any alliums there for five years... going to give it at least another five... but they didn't look like that..
If it isn't hormone (weedkiller damage) I don't know what it is... Do the council weed spray the avenues? you may have caught some drift!
:-\
Well folks the secretary has suggested that everyone on the site who has onion fly gets them up and gets rid for the sake of the plot holders who haven't got it. Glad to say all have taken action. I doubt very much wether the folks on our other site will be willing to do the same. It's great when everyone works together isn't it.
Somebody on my site suggested this might be leek leaf miner. Whatever, it's definitely some horrible insect.