newbie with onion probs!

[greenie01]

Hi, I am a newbie to allotment gardening and this forum so please accept my apologies if this has been posted to the wrong thread.

I planted japanese winter onions last autumn. They were growing fine until the really cold snowy weather in January, when I noticed that the bulbs seemed to either go mushy or papery leaving a leek shaped plant!

could this be the aftermath of frost damage or could it be disease?

[Lazgaot]

Hi, I am a newbie to allotment gardening and this forum so please accept my apologies if this has been posted to the wrong thread.

I planted japanese winter onions last autumn. They were growing fine until the really cold snowy weather in January, when I noticed that the bulbs seemed to either go mushy or papery leaving a leek shaped plant!

could this be the aftermath of frost damage or could it be disease?

Hi and welcome! Do you have any pictures of the new leek shaped plants? Also what do you mean by Leek shaped and aren't the bulbs under the soil? (or did you dig a few up?)

[Nes]

I don't think you need to worry . The onion uses up the energy stored in the set to grow its leaves. The old bulb will wither somewhat. When the onion plant is a bit older and the weather improves, the bulb will swell giving you nice plump onions to harvest in the summer. Mushy and nasty smelling would indicate rot though - if they're like that, and the leaves are dying, pull them out and maybe try again in a different spot with spring planting sets.

[greenie01]

I dont have any photos. The bulbs did wither, and apart from snow damage to tops seemed ok.When I pulled one out it looked more like a leek. I have decided to pull them out and start again, but didnt know wether to try them on another patch?