[djbnat]

In my "Geoffrey Smith" book from the 1980's BBC series he recommends growing onions in the same bed each year, but yesterday in my local garden centre the onion sets they were selling had a growing guide attached recommending just the opposite!  What advice do the wiser minds on here recommend?
regards
DJB

[mumofstig]

If you have space, then rotate them _ it stops the build up of onion diseases

[plum crumble]

it's normally NOT recommended, so as to avoid any diseases - particularly if you have had any white rot in your onions in the current year. You can take a chance, which you may be forced to if you haven't got enough space to rotate crops, however, I would rotate if you can

[djbnat]

Many thanks - plenty of space so I will move them around 
regards
DJB

[Kleftiwallah]

I believe I may have the same book and it is the first one I grab should I need advice. 

I can't imagine why he would say plant onions year after year in the same spot.  We have onion white rot in our allotment and the garden, no doupt carried there on my boots before I knew about such things.

Cheers.  Tony.

[djbnat]

I agree it is a superb quick reference book (Mr Smith's Vegetable Garden - it's actually a 1976 BBC book!) and the first one I pick up too - simple and straight to the point.  But just checked it again and sure enough his opening line on page 34 states "Best grown in the same bed for several years to build up fertility" .  
Maybe we are better informed now than back in 1976  
Regards
DJB

[pdblake]

Seems these people have been growing in the same bed for 140 years:

http://www.exhibition-seed.info/cultivation.htm

[mumofstig]

According to that, they've also been sterilising the ground every year with a treatment that is now illegal for that purpose.

On this site we don't suggest that people break the law in order to grow onions 

[JayG]

I agree it is a superb quick reference book (Mr Smith's Vegetable Garden - it's actually a 1976 BBC book!) and the first one I pick up too - simple and straight to the point.  But just checked it again and sure enough his opening line on page 34 states "Best grown in the same bed for several years to build up fertility" . 
Maybe we are better informed now than back in 1976 
Regards
DJB

Funnily enough my Peter Seabrook's "Complete Vegetable Gardener" was also published in 1976, but he clearly states that onions should be rotated to avoid white rot in particular.

In 1974 Percy Thrower's "Fresh Vegetables and Herbs from your Garden" also suggests rotation for the same reason (and who would dare argue with him!)

Neither of them mention using Jeyes fluid for sterilising garden soil even though it wasn't illegal to do so in those days. 

[Trillium]

With fairly old gardening books, you need to take some of the advice with caution and common sense. Back then onion rot and other diseases were not too prevalent, so anyone who recommended growing them in the same place obviously didn't have that problem. Unlike now, where progressively more people are now face with the onion rot (and other related diseases) spores in their soils.

Same goes for many of the very unsafe chemicals they used to use. Ask local fellow gardeners first for general info on local problem diseases, chemical bans, etc. Many folk are up to date on  such.

[pdblake]

According to that, they've also been sterilising the ground every year with a treatment that is now illegal for that purpose.

On this site we don't suggest that people break the law in order to grow onions 

Unfortunately they don't admit to that so it's hard to know unless you know

[mumofstig]

Well they wouldn't would they 

But now you do know .........and welcome to the Forum 

[pdblake]

Well they wouldn't would they 

But now you do know .........and welcome to the Forum 

Thanks, and for the record I rotate mine. Onions that is