[gregmcalister]

I have a patch of rhubarb on my plot and this year I planted a few rows of red baron onions nearby however the plants which are closest to the rhubarb are tiny when compared to the other side of the row. I've planted the whole lot in a few inches of compost forked into the soil and fed with bonemeal. I was wondering whether anyone else has come across this problem?

[Norfolkbird]

When you say "near" the rhubarb - how near was it?  I'm just wondering if the rhubarb shaded out the onions - I planted Red Baron too, this year, along with Sturon, and they were all pretty rubbish, as in undersized.  I think it might have been because I planted them in a bed that had self-seeded rainbow chard growing all over it (as I subsequently found out) and although I tried to keep on top of the chard weeding, a lot of the onions ended up being shaded by it.  So a sunny open bed for the onions next year! (Note to self - nowhere near the Jerusalem Artichoke forest!)

[gregmcalister]

I don't think shade is a problem as the rhubarb is to the north of the onions but the onions which are a couple of feet away are tiny while the others are coming on as per normal.  I'll move things about for next year but I wondered whether the rhubarb might have taken the nutrients from the onions (the rhubarb was huge this year). The other possibility is that rhubarb is a poor companion to onions and interferes with their growth.