ONION NECK ROT (botrytis allii). At this time of year it is advisable to check onions to see if they are storing well and keeping free of disease.However,after a period of about 10-12 weeks after harvesting a crop the signs of ONION NECK ROT will appear. The symptoms are,the scales go very soft,then it spreads around the neck,spreads to all the onion giving it a brown colour rendering the onion useless. Infection can be caused by,probably,contaminated seed and not clearing the site of all previous debri which must not be put in the compost heap,burning all the debri is best. It is recommended that a crop rotation system is used of 3 to 4 years …
ONION WHITE ROT (sclerotium cepivorum) This is very common problem and most people on allotments will have had this disease.It is a very serious problem and fairly easy to identify the disease, weak leaves and growth at the base of the plant is covered with a white looking fungus.Once this is noticed the plant or site,if its that bad ,should be cleared out and all the plants effected burnt.under no circumstances should plants be put in a compost heap burning is the best option. Unfortunately there is no chemical available for garden
use once the soil is contaminated it is very hard to eradicate .This does not mean that all the plot is effected just keep plugging away and and don’t be put off by any disease ..once again crop rotation is a must on allotments to try and prevent diseases …keep digging
Mick Cooper/Mark Burton
