Allotments 4 All

First the autumn planted (very special) shallots get white rot. Then the spring garlic. Some onions are looking unhappy. The chives are browning. And now the pink shallots from the Farmers' Market have a hollow stem on every bulb. So they won't store! Great!! = Tim

My sympathy Tim i know how you feel, went down the allotment last night and nearly all of my onions (100) have developed white rot. So a wasted year for them, also the leeks have been decimated by rabbits? and can't be saved.

Ah well will just have to hope next year is better.

Peter

On the other hand,

Our allotment trrading shed had over stocked on small decorative alliums last autumn so had lots left over this spring

At 15p for 20 (Packet price £1.50) they seemed a bargain and I've had a riot of colour (White, yellow and purple) from 2 packets of each - they are now being fed heavily to produce an even better display next year

The similarly priced narcissus have failed to show, but as they were not planted until mid April .......

Phil

Phil

How about a picture?

On the other hand -  - forgot to mention that the 4 rows of leeks are only 10' away from the onions!! = Tim

Hi Tim,
        If this had happened last year I would have suggested that using a fine rose on the watering can You watered the leeks with a mixing of Jeyes Fluid ..Only a teaspoonfull to a 2 Gallon Watering can ..But unfortunately in their Wisdom from this year We cannot use Jeyes on the garden anymore wink Wink ..I always gave the onion bed a watering with this prior to setting it and then a watering when they had got growing ..Also used the same on my brassicas ...
Shame you can't try it on the row of leeks nearest to the onion bed.
Jim .
PS. I used to sterilise my pots and  greenhouses out with it also ...

Jim - yes - we double sterilised with Armillatox last year, & really had high hopes. Oh. well -  can't win 'em all? = Tim

Are those pink ones the ones you sent me Tim?-if so then same here. Japanese onions are OK but a Golden Bear went in the incinerator today-armillatox?-seems not.

BUT-that module tip for spring onions is a total winner-thank you.

Stephan

Yes, Stephan - sorry!!

Modules? For others, like this? = Tim

Sorry for going a little off topic, but I chuckled when I saw this post heading. My Mother-in-Law is in her 85th year (God bless her little cotton socks) and quite often talks with the mannerisms of Hilda Baker  ::) (Oops now I’m showing my age) and told us a few weeks ago that she thinks Alliums are moving in a few doors away from her, having delved more deeply we discovered she meant Asylum Seekers. The reason she had her suspicions was because builders were emptying the house of rubbish and putting it into a skif. ;D

I love Hilda Baker and even more my MIL she is a gem. ;)

Aliens??

A year older than me - poor thing!! = Tim

Hi Tim - what would you reckon on this idea?  Sounds bizarre - but workable?  If VERY smelly!  

http://www.cherrybyte.org/Articles/Agriculture/Biological%20Control/biological%20control%20full.html
http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/Link/Publications/Publicity/HortLINK/220.pdf

All best - Gavin

Nice one, Gavin - wonder how I go about it??

In a way, it ties in with HDRA's ideas - but less hassle.
For those who haven't seen them, herewith. = Tim

http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/dc16.htm

Guys - if all goes wrong, DT Brown are selling overwintering onion sets quite reasonably (about £6 for 3x80 sets - 2 white and one red) for planting in September. Heres the link :

http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/acatalog/0105maingarlic.html

Got my order in yesterday after half of the onion crop destroyed last evening - moral of this story is no matter HOW enthusiastic 10 year olds are, make sure that when you let them use a rotovator for the first time it is not within a million miles of anything you are growing! DOH! :-\

Wish it would work, Jerry - but all my soil is now heavily infected & nothing short of mairacle will allow me to grow alliums again.

10 year olds? You'll learn!! = Tim