[Cheshire Phill]

Around 50% of my overwintered onions have rotted post harvest and I'm not sure why!

They were loosened and left to dry for a week, then lifted after a period of extremely dry weather here in Cheshire, so were not at all wet. I lifted them as the foliage and stems had fallen over and was yellowing. I then hung them from strings in my dry garage for another two weeks, and have come back from hols to find around half of them are rotten on the outside or through the stems, which is really disappointing. Some of them are useable immediately by peeling off a couple of outer layers, but clearly won't store.

Varieties are Troy and Radar whites, and a red which I think was Red Baron.

Any ideas how to do this better?? 

Phill 

[DD.]

Over winter-onions are not renowned keepers, just a stop gap between the spring planted crops.

I start using them before they are fully matured and then don't rely on them keeping above a couple of months.

[daisy1990]

how you hang them from the string also has an effect, they need to have lots of air circulating around them so if they are bundled closely together they will rot where they touch each other

[Cheshire Phill]

All good sense chaps, thanks. Think I'll try the "upturned onion through drying rack" next time, and ensure that they aren't touching at all.

Also take the point about overwintering ones not keeping...will take care of this years onions and see if they are better for storing.

Phill 

[PAULW]

If your onions went to seed, the seed stem will rot inside of the onion taking the bulb with it, the onions that went to seed should be used first.