onions

[plotman]

My onions this year were doing fine until the leaves started to rot at the base. To my dismay there was onion fly. This spread to my leekes as well, and hence, no crop of either.
Any ideas to prevent this reoccurring next year please??

[jaykay]

Have just looked in my Veg and Herb Expert book by Dr Hessayon for this.

Onion fly: Tell tale signs are yellow drooping leaves. Worst attacks occur in dry soil in midsummer. Maggots burrow into bases of bulbs - young plants frequently killed, older ones fail to develop properly.
Treatment: Lift and burn badly affected plants.
Prevention: Treat with pirimiphos-methyl shortly before sowing or planting. Destroy all thinnings, damaged leaves and infested bulbs - firm the soil around the plants. If onion fly is a regular problem grow onions from sets rather than seeds.

Hope this helps a bit.

[zazen999]

Apart from - some of my sets got it whereas none of the seed grown onions ever do. I think they came with the sets as it was the only lot that had it.

[plotman]

Have just looked in my Veg and Herb Expert book by Dr Hessayon for this.

Onion fly: Tell tale signs are yellow drooping leaves. Worst attacks occur in dry soil in midsummer. Maggots burrow into bases of bulbs - young plants frequently killed, older ones fail to develop properly.
Treatment: Lift and burn badly affected plants.
Prevention: Treat with pirimiphos-methyl shortly before sowing or planting. Destroy all thinnings, damaged leaves and infested bulbs - firm the soil around the plants. If onion fly is a regular problem grow onions from sets rather than seeds.

Hope this helps a bit.

Thanku julie, appreciate your trouble ) Plotman