Subscribe with Bloglines At last I've got my plot!: Onion white rot

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Onion white rot

I have looked this up now on the RHS website, and am convinced that I have it at my plot....
There is aphoto on their site which is identical to the problem I found on mine.
This is what they say about it......

Advice
Onion white rot (Sclerotium cepivorum)
Plants affected
All members of the onion family including spring onions, leeks, chives, ornamental alliums.
Symptoms
Infected plants often die before maturity. Above ground onion leaves wilt progressively before collapsing, although this symptom may not be so obvious in other alliums. Underground bulbs are rotten at the base and covered with a fluffy white mould.
Cause
Onion white rot is a most serious disease of the onion family because it is nearly impossible to eradicate the dormant stage from the soil. It is caused by a fungus which spreads from plant to plant by contact between roots and bulbs, and is capable of surviving in the soil for up to 15 years, during which time it can infect any onion or onion relative planted in its presence.
Prevention
Practise a three or four year crop rotation. If the infection is diagnosed do not grow susceptible plants in that area of the garden again.
Non-chemical control
Removing infected plants and increasing the space between host plants will help to reduce the severity of the disease. Destroy infected plants by burning or putting them in sealed bags in the dustbin. Do not compost infected material.
Chemical control
None is available. If necessary, contractors can be employed to sterilise the ground.

It seems I will have to grow my onions in the home kitchen garden in future....!




3 Comments:

At 3/7/08 7:24 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh what a nuisance. I lost all my onions too this year - to rabbits nibbling the tops of after chewing through the netting - and those that grew again got swallowed up by the weeds whilst I was ill.

So I gave up on them this year - we will have to buy them - there were more urgent things to do at the time.

Your plots looking good though despite the hiccups.

 
At 6/7/08 6:14 am, Blogger Frankie said...

Cripes! That sounds bad.

 
At 29/7/08 7:47 pm, Blogger Tattyanne said...

I too have fallen prey to the dreaded onion white rot! I lost a lot of my crop to it. I thought about remove a deep layer of topsoil from one bed, and refilling it with sterilised soil from somewhere(?). Or.... growing onions in troughs, tubs and pots. Although, even the onions that I grew in a tub still fell prey. It is transferred through garden tools, on your feet etc! Nightmare! Good luck.... Tatty

 

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