[SoniaBA]

Hi all, hope someone can help me 

I planted my onions last year with my garlic. Now my onions have rooted and sprouted to about 6inchs but the bulbs themselves have shrivelled up! Should i leave them as they will be ok OR remove and replace them cos they are a gonna?

Thanks all
 Sonia 

[Jamie Butterworth]

As long as they have some growth they should be ok, the bulb starts to swell up after the longest day of the year, until then it focuses more on foliage growth

[SoniaBA]

Even tho they were sets to start with?

[Salmo]

Onions store sugars and starches in the set which is used to give the onion a boost when it starts to grow. The original set is gradually taken over by new layers of skins until it eventually dissappears.

[SoniaBA]

  Thank you, this is the 3rd site forum i have asked this question, and the only one to reply. I'm sure to be back with more questions 

Sonia x

[Kimberley04]

I have the same situation - I planted overwintering onions last year.

They have about six inches of green growth on them, so I thought they were fine but actually all of the bulbs have shrivelled up, rottted and gone soft.

One of the men on the plot (who always has fab veg) told me today that they wont come to anything and I should take them out before I get white rot.  So I'm going to take mine out this week and replace them with some spring planted sets.

Don't know if that's anything like what's happened to you ?

[SoniaBA]

That is exactly whats happened!
Although they have shoot growth and roots, i wasnt convinced about them being ok with the bulb gone so i bough new set, was my OH who thought they would be ok because of the growth.

LOL have 2 different responses to it here 2  What to do what to do?

[JohnB47]

SoniaBA and Kimberley04 - I had this 'problem' the first time I grew over wintering onion sets. It seems that it's perfectly normal for them to loose their original bulb shape over winter. Mine looked like heathy leeks at this time of year.

As Salmo says, it just the plant using up the foodstore in the original set.

If you've got good healthy growth, with no signs of mould etc, just leave them be. They'll soon start fattening up.

Kimberley04 - are you sure "all of the bulbs have shrivelled up, rottted and gone soft." I would be surprised at this if you have about 6" of healthy green growth.

But if so, then I suppose you have a real problem and need to replace them (but I'm doubting it  ).

[Kimberley04]

Haha, ok ....

Yeah, I'm sure they were completely soft and rotten.  Like I said, one of the old boys on my site who has been growing veg longer than I've been alive also advised for them to come out, so I'm going to defer to his good judgement on this one and see what happens next year.

[JayG]

Haha, ok ....

Yeah, I'm sure they were completely soft and rotten.  Like I said, one of the old boys on my site who has been growing veg longer than I've been alive also advised for them to come out, so I'm going to defer to his good judgement on this one and see what happens next year.

There's a big difference between being "soft" and "rotten" (as in between alive and dead!)

Surely the time to test the "Old Boy's" theory is this year rather than next? 

[JohnB47]

Haha, ok ....

Yeah, I'm sure they were completely soft and rotten.  Like I said, one of the old boys on my site who has been growing veg longer than I've been alive also advised for them to come out, so I'm going to defer to his good judgement on this one and see what happens next year.

Fair enough but I would suggest leaving two or three in place, just to see how things pan out. Otherwise if/when it happens again next year, you'll be in exactly the same position.

Still, it's your choice of course. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[SoniaBA]

Hi all,

I kept my autumn onions in and planted more (just in case ) and i am pleased to report that they are ALL doing grand! The bulbs have started to swell and are just smaller than golf ball sized at the mo.


So a big thank you from me  :happy: