Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: John Clarke on June 01, 2023, 18:33

Title: Twisted onions from sets
Post by: John Clarke on June 01, 2023, 18:33

Hi all

Can anyone advise why my onion sets all seem to be stunted and twisted.
They were planted out around late February, we haven't had any particularly cold spells, based in the south west UK. They started off growing well, but seemed to develop this over the last 4 weeks.
Weather has been dry, but I have watered with a can.

See attached photo

Varieties growing
Stuttgart, Centurion and Red Baron  - all seem to be affected.

Many thanks in advance
John

Title: Re: Twisted onions from sets
Post by: snowdrops on June 01, 2023, 19:46

Look like they’ve got onion eelworm I’m afraid,if so they’ll not be successful, end up rotting in my experience

Title: Re: Twisted onions from sets
Post by: Yorkie on June 01, 2023, 19:47

Welcome to the forums  :)

The most likely culprit is the allium leaf miner  :(
https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/allium-leaf-miner

Title: Re: Twisted onions from sets
Post by: simon hughes on June 02, 2023, 06:50

Defo looks like leaf miner damage to me. You can see the vertical lines if you zoom in. In my experience the damage is much less on onions than if you get it on leeks so you might still get a crop albeit much reduced in size. Fingers crossed.

The only way to stop is ultra fine mesh type netting.