Grow Your Own Magazine

What an absolute disaster this year so far.

All my red onions bolted, decided I could make better use of the space so reluctantly pulled the lot

Now my mammoth onions are looking quite sick. I bought these from Robinsons as small plants.

My little book suggests it may be eel worm. Some of the leaves are pretty tightly curled.

Is it eel worm?

I hope not







The really worrying part is it says not to grow onions, strawberries, peas, or beans for several years

Really hoping for some good news here, so be gentle

Thanks

Are they all affected?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Hi Snadger,

No, not all but probably the majority.

There are only about 40 in the bed.

Looks to me like the culprit is the allium leaf miner i lost all alliums to it last year.Try pulling a few onions out and stripping the layers off you'll either find a little white maggot or a red chrysalis if you do pull all affected plants and burn them.West midlands and staffordshire plagued with the little pest for the last few years.

No, not leaf miner - the leaves would be half-eaten and yellowing if it was that.

Could well be Eelworm though. "These tiny worm-like pests are too small to see with the naked eye, but the damage they do is all too easy to identify. Young plants become swollen and twisted. Young or fully grown plants infected with onion eelworm have a soft feel to them and often the bulb splits at the base. The bulbs loose all their natural crispness.

There is no cure available for this condition, prevention is the only cure. Destroy all infected plants by burning them. Do not plant onions, leeks, beans carrots or parsnips on the infected soil again for two years."

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Oh dear! Hope it's good news for you. Eelworm does not sound good!

Sorry to see the state of your onions. It has been a bad year for mine to most are no bigger than when I put the sets in and now most have got grey mould. Still at least it wasn't as bad as yours if it iseelworm. Lets hope for the best for you.

Ian

GojiB I have the exact same problem. Took one to Wisley on Monday.
Poor storage of the sets before planting was to blame!
Great service there- free to RHS members!

Mine are the same as yours Goji and Headfry! No grey mould tho. Mine just arent growing!!

Thanks everyone, just managed to catch up a bit

Pulled a couple & stripped the leaves etc back, no sign of anything.

The necks are very thick, and the bulb is soft.

along with the very distinctive leaves, they are beyond hope.

Eelworm still looks favourite, can anyone confirm this for me please.

They are planted in my big main bed. Onions & potatoes generally, this really will but the dampers on next year if it is eel worm