[lottiegirl]

Hi everyone,

after some advice please. I am growing onions and am at a bit of a loss with them. They went into the ground and looked fine for a while (ie) their stems were standing up straight. Now all the leaves (stems) have flopped over and some are curly, but the plants all look healthy although the bulbs haven't swelled.  I've had a look at other people's onions on the lotties and they seem fine - all looking like onions and stems standing up straight.

Any ideas?

[Yana]

I've got the same problem lottie girl except that the bulbs do seem to be getting a bit bigger, but not by very much. It makes weeding really tricky as the leaves get in the way of the hoe.

[allotmentor]

Are they getting enough water - are they e.g in a light soil/raised bed?

[Beetroot queen]

Everything fell over in our garden in the last few days, onions, spuds, cabbages.

I am hoping it all picks up again.

[fatcat1955]

Unless you have had a very dry spell do not water them. They could have gotten top heavy and been pushed over by the wind. A lot of exibition grower's actually stake each onion to stop this happening. As long as they stay green i do not think you have a problem.

[Yana]

They are still very green so no prob there. Just look all kinda sad toppled over.
It has been dry of late but I stuck my finger in the soil and its ok. It's raining now and meant to do so overnight so I'll look and see what they r like tomorrow.

[lottiegirl]

Just been investigating my onions. I have  some growing in the polytunnel and some outside. Both lots of onions have the same problem: twisted leaves, floppy, healthy looking stems (leaves) and when I opened one from outside and one from inside both had very, very small white maggot things in the bulbs (sort of living between the layers of the onion bulb).

Anybody have any idea what this maybe? I initially thought it was my growing technique (ie) too much, too little water etc but looking around other plots other peoples onions are starting to look like mine including onions that have been out over winter

Many thanks

[AnneB]

It sounds horribly like onion fly to me.  You need to remove affected plants and burn, not compost them so they don't overwinter.  If your site has it, you should probably net your crops from all the onion family I am afraid.

[lottiegirl]

Thanks AnneB, If it is onion fly  will next years crop be infected as well? Is there any treatment/prevention and what sort of netting should I use?

I assume netting all crops from the onion family include leeks?

[AnneB]

Thanks AnneB, If it is onion fly  will next years crop be infected as well? Is there any treatment/prevention and what sort of netting should I use?

I assume netting all crops from the onion family include leeks?

Here is a link to some good advice about onion fly. 

http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/onion-fly-153657.pdf

I hope this helps.