[Kajazy]

As feared, about half of my onions have white rot on them - I'd been warned that there was white rot on the allotment site. I have a few questions and am hoping any experts out there might be able to help me:

1) is the crop salvageable? i.e. can I just chop off the bits with rot and freeze the rest of the onion? (I realise that the onions won't store in the conventional way).

2) how do you freeze onions?! Do they need blanching? Or can I just chop, bag and freeze?

3) I have leeks growing on the next door bed - are they likely to come a cropper?

4) I LOVE all alliums, and am gutted - is there any way to grow them successfully regardless? Are there any resistant varieties? Would garlic succumb? Should I dump a pile of compost in one of my raised beds and grow them there?

All and any opinions most gratefully received...

[Yorkie]

As feared, about half of my onions have white rot on them - I'd been warned that there was white rot on the allotment site. I have a few questions and am hoping any experts out there might be able to help me:

1) is the crop salvageable? i.e. can I just chop off the bits with rot and freeze the rest of the onion? (I realise that the onions won't store in the conventional way).  Yes, that's fine

2) how do you freeze onions?! Do they need blanching? No.Or can I just chop, bag and freeze? Yes. Double bag to try to prevent odour spread.

3) I have leeks growing on the next door bed - are they likely to come a cropper? I don't know if white rot affects all members of the allium family to the same extent.

4) I LOVE all alliums, and am gutted - is there any way to grow them successfully regardless? Are there any resistant varieties? Would garlic succumb? Should I dump a pile of compost in one of my raised beds and grow them there? Some people are trialling the use of a garlic drench to fool the white rot but it's too early to say whether it will work.  I wouldn't try garlic itself on the site as that will succumb.  You could try a raised bed but be aware that the pathogen spreads through water in the soil so could easily contaminate the bed - and compost is not a good long-term soil replacement as it has little structure and fewer nutrients

All and any opinions most gratefully received...

[corndolly]

Yes the best solution is to gather in the onions now !Just pulled over 400 chopped  in portion sized packets double wrap and in Freezer.The onions that dont pull up easy may be OK for winter storage but I will be checking  daily and using or freezing any that may start to go soft.
I am going to try the Garlic spray on soil where I am planning to grow onions next year.

Save what you have !.I spent last 2 days chopping 400 onions .Burn all the unused bits and treat the soil with Garlic spray or dont grow onions there for years.

[Kajazy]

Thanks all - will get peeling and chopping tomorrow!

Garlic spray - is that just a clove or two of garlic mixed with water and sprayed on the soil?

[mumofstig]

some advice about garlic spray
here

[realfood]

I have already reported on the results of my garlic water trial, and would just say that I am convinced that it is effective in clearing most of the white rot. There is still time for you to treat the bed that you are going to use for alliums next year.

[savbo]

I found less rot on shallots than on the white onions, perhaps because they sit more proud of the soil?