Protecting Onion

[veg4681]

Few of my red onions have started to shoot. Since they're lovely tender green bits, will the slugs go for them? I was wondering if the smell is too strong for the slug to be put off. If not, I'll need to scatter the slug pellets at the earliest possible. Thanks.

[The Reverend]

Morning veg4681, i have never had any such problems with slugs eating the new shoots of onions, so i would leave the pellets in the box.

[veg4681]

Morning veg4681, i have never had any such problems with slugs eating the new shoots of onions, so i would leave the pellets in the box.

Phew, thank you so much for the confirmation. Wow, a prompt helpline service that cost nothing, that's the Grapevine.

[Tigerella]

Hi

They left my leeks alone too.

Tigerella

[Snadger]

Birds love to tug at the unsprouted tops though!

[Paulottie]

It is worth trimming the dead skin from the top with scissors so they can't get a beak-hold.

[jaykay]

I covered mine with net to stop birds pecking and to deter either the fox or rabbit that had decided to dig among my newly planted shallots and red onions.

[Vegmonkey]

i covered mine with fleece on hoops, japanese ones - the onions not the hoops...That'll protect them from anything that dares to try to eat them...and it looks pretty

[veg4681]

Birds love to tug at the unsprouted tops though!

You sure are right. They've starting doing that on mine although the few sets that got attacked, didn't get pulled right out. The rack that I'm using as cover protection isn't fine enough.

What is it? Just when it's rare good news that slugs don't touch onion, then it's the birds going for the kill.

[Two_Sheds]

Not fair is it?
But remember, we are planting food ... its not just food for us, its food for all the animals and beasties too. We have to outwit them, and its always challenging and frustrating!

[The Reverend]

I suppose we are all Gods Creatures

[Sue]

Hi
Enviromesh has been my life saver this year, doesn't always keep the slugs out but you can sprinkle pellets under the cover. My problem is pigeons eating any greenery and cats and foxes who love digging in a newly prepared piece of ground. I've actually got cabbages growing with no holes in them now.
Sue

[Paulottie]

You sure are right. They've starting doing that on mine although the few sets that got attacked, didn't get pulled right out. The rack that I'm using as cover protection isn't fine enough.

What is it? Just when it's rare good news that slugs don't touch onion, then it's the birds going for the kill.

Its not so much that they are going for the kill, they don't eat them, its just irritating that they tug them out.

[jacob marley]

Birds love to tug at the unsprouted tops though!

What i do is plant set's then earth them up like a mini potato ridge about 2 inches high then when onion's star shooting i rake the ridge down it works for me jacob

[SarzWix]

Hi, just wanted to say, don't assume that slugs/snails won't eat your onion leaves... Mine got badly munched last season, and the worst munched were the ones which went to seed (bolted). So it's probably worth setting up whatever slug defence you usually use/scattering pellets. The birds didn't bother with them at all, but I was leaving freshly dug ground for them to peck over most days!