Onions being damaged

[dandamegs]

Hi all,

Not had this before, and have been growing onions for a few years now.

A few are being pulled from the soil, but the problem is the stalks are being neatly chopped/bitten off at the bulb, and left lying on the soil??

Appreciate some pointers on this one

Thanks

Mick

[Snadger]

Magpies?

[Norm]

Rig up a net over the top

[JennieAtkinson]

Starlings ..........

They do that with mine every year, so I cover them with environmesh until they've got a bit of a hold.

[HeyWayne]

Wabbits?

[dandamegs]

Thanks all, not a ground dwelling beastie then as I am sure we have no bunnies hopping around.

Will get them covered over as suggested.

Something must be different this year

[winnie]

Are you certain there are no rabbits lurking? They eat our onions to the ground like you have described. Have to net until they are really big & then they are pretty safe. In our case, the onions have shooted again and had no problems other than a short setback.

xxxxx

[beetie]

we've lost tender onion shoots like this last year. I think pigeons were the culprits. As suggested, a net was our solution.

[Beki]

I've had the exact same problem. And lo and behold i looked out of the window when i was up early one morning (about 5.30am) and what do i see? A rabbit eating my onions!!!!

So they're now netted, even though they're about 18 inches high, and they've recovered really well.

[bridget mc laughlin]

I got my brother to shoot my culprate wabbits

[dandamegs]

Thanks all

Toss up between bunnies, and pigeons then

Pigeons we have always had, but no damage to onions. Rabbits, not impossible I suppose, but never seen them, or any evidence.

[brooklynodog]

This happened to my leeks, so I netted them, but its still happening! No sign of slugs though

[dandamegs]

And the culprit a big fat pigeon

It moved over to my little girls veggie patch and decimated it. Covered that with netting to save what little was left, and it came back to finish the job. Cleared it yesterday eveing ready for replanting and we spotted it out of an upstairs window.

Should I raise the net on sticks?

I basically pegged it loosely over the bed and that didn't work.

Thanks again

[Norm]

Should I raise the net on sticks?

That's probably best. Leave a bit of growing room, but not enough space for the pigeon to spread it's wings. That way, it'll stay out.

[dandamegs]

Thanks Norm

Being suitably smug after netting yesterday we sowed all our veggie again safe in the knowledge they would be kept safe & sound.

Yet this morning there are another 3 parsnips pulled out and left on the soil again. The 3 smaller ones again, there are only 6 left now.

There is a slug/snail trail in there, although the origional problem couldn't have been slugs.

I have only raised the netting, probably a couple of foot, and rougly pegged the sides down. There are archway type gaps-would a bird still go in? Do I need to totally enclose this? Is it too high? Have 4 childs windmills in the as well.

Sorry, this is getting to me a bit now, and not sure of the best way to tackle the problem.

Drop the nets lower, and take anti slug/snail action?

Thanks again

Mick