Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Audy70 on June 02, 2014, 12:26

Title: Onion white rot
Post by: Audy70 on June 02, 2014, 12:26
My shallot leaves were all yellow and when I got them up, there was this white fuzz on the bulbs and roots. Is it onion white rot?

I've pulled up a couple that don't seem to have it and there are a couple more still in the ground that still look health. I'm wondering if to leave them in or get them out before they get it as well.
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: Aunt Sally on June 02, 2014, 12:38
That could well be onion white rot :(

There is a lot of information here:

http://www.growyourown.info/page173.html
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: mumofstig on June 02, 2014, 13:38
 :( Certainly looks like it, mind you mild wet winter weather does suit it.

I've put onions in the last untried bit of my plot this year. If it's there as well - then no more onions for me from the plot :(
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: Audy70 on June 02, 2014, 13:56
I was afraid it was :( The strange thing is that I've got garlic and onions in the same bed and they don't seem to be affected. I pulled the onions because they were being eaten but something but the garlic is still in, maybe I should get them out too :unsure:

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: Ivor Backache on June 02, 2014, 17:08
I have had white rot on the allotment and over the last four years I have managed to eradicate it. (I think!) The 1st year was a disaster with 40% losses. I kept to the same plot and removed a cubic spit of soil for each affected onion and replaced it with commercial compost. Dug the plot over with horse manure and replanted..10% losses.
Repeated this again, and had just  3 casualties, and this year I have a healthy bed of shallots and onions.
I would look for affected onions in late May and June by tugging the plants. Those that gave way easily were just beginning to be affected.
Also I planted them at least 6" apart to prevent the transfer of the rot from  root to root.

I your case I would monitor twice weekly and remove the soil from affected areas. If you have planted them close together then expect more rot, because the roots will have intermingled . Once cleaned up the bulbs are usable.
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: Aunt Sally on June 02, 2014, 17:22
More information here:

http://bcseeds.org/white-rot.php
Title: Re: Onion white rot
Post by: Audy70 on June 02, 2014, 17:59
Thanks Sally for the links, I'll do a three year crop rotation and use the garlic solution before I plant alliums there again.

Thanks Ivor, I'll keep checking what's left, hopefully they'll all mature before they get attacked. I think I definitely planted the shallots too close, which is probably why most got infected.