diseased onions/shallots

Got onion fly in my leeks last year and lost all 70 of them , this year i put my shsllots in a completely different part of my plot a good 30ft away.
I have just transplanted my leeks into there growing position and noticed the shallots are going the same way as the leeks, dieing leaves and slimey around the bulbs can anyone advise.
THANKS MICKY

 

Is there any white mildew stuff around the base ?

 

Yes ziggy and a bit slimey but can't see any visible signs of onion fly

 

Oh oh, sounds like onion white rot. nitemare, can't grow any onion family for ten years as far as i remember.

Ave a look at this thread from an allotment site.

http://www.allotments-uk.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6046

I had 5,000 garlic blubs wiped out by it.

 

Thanks for your help and the link - interesting stuff - I guess I'm guilty of overwatering. Do you reckon this applies to leeks as well? I don't want to make the same mistake with them again this year!

 

No worries, its probably not your fault, the fungus could have been in the soil from previous crops. Sorry, but its all the alium family, leeks, garlic, chives, shallots, crow garlic ,ramsons etc.

If you are desperate to grow these, then slice a big sheet of polythene into the ground over the plot, cover it in bark chippings or gravel to keep the uv off it & use grow bags or build some raised beds with old pallets or something. that way you could carry on & the ground will be clean when the quarantine is over.

 

I can't grow onions in the ground due to white rot so the last few years I've grown them in polystyrene fish boxes filled with bought in compost with no problems.
I've not (so far, touch wood) had any rot problems with my leeks apart from rust which I now avoid by planting rust resistant varieties. I don't know why, but it may be that they are planted quite deep and through holes in membrane. The shallots I grew last year for the first time didn't get white rot and this year's are looking healthy too.
I think I'll try a few onions in the ground again next year in the hope that the white rot has gone.
Here's a link to an RHS article regarding white rot>
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=226

 

I like the idea of fish boxes, but thats probably because i'm an angler.

 

Me to ziggy and one of my mates is a fish merchant , i have put all my remaining leeks im pots so i will lay in a store for next year and by the way THANKS DAVE.

 

Good plan, plenty of time to build up a stock. Thats very handy with the fish merchant bit, sorted for bait then

 

Yes squid/mackerel the longshore boys off the beach at lowestoft still go herring driving a the end of sept/oct so fresh not a problem,
Trouble is up untill mid dec the cod go for lug untill the spratts come inshore and then you'r on squid untill the fresh peeler are about , pity you cant rotten onions?

 

You never know until you try a bait, have had some good fish off cooked prawns from the supermarket.

We could be in danger of going off topic & turning this into a fishing thread, but seeing as when i'm not gardening or building, then i'm fishing; i don't have a problem with that.:lollol:

 

Yeah will have to watch that ; like you ziggy if im'e not gardening or golfing im'e fishin.
I blame dave and his marvelous fish box idea , listening to us eulegising about our other passtimes is a small price to pay for such a great idea