Onions - rotting from top down???

[Headfry]

Morning kind grapes, hope you have had a good weekend

A problem with my onions -

They grew well and looked like a lovely crop of large solid onions. Tops went over and dried (been quite a dry season here) harvested them in the dry and let them dry out even further on the shed floor (some sunlight gets to them).
Tied them in bunches. Some of the leaves so dry and brittle they snapped about inch from onion 'bulb'. Thought I had better use these first - they looked perfect...until I started to use them - the top of the 'bulbs' are brown, mushy, and rotten - I have never had this problem before - seems like its every onion even the tiny ones! they are mushy and brown almost all the way through, Yet the onions look great on the outside, though a little soft when pressed.
What have I done wrong....????
I would be truly grateful for any help offered.

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi Headfry, were they like this when you pulled them? You can get what is called Neck Rot in onions also Soft Rot which is bacterial. Do you have a photo? I would be tempted to slice and freeze, so as to stop the rot and means you can salvage something from your harvest. Mine are in hessian sacks, but when I dried them I did so on the high shelving in my greenhouse. Think AP said it was important they got air not nevessarily sunlight around them.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Nowt you've done wrong missus. I posted shortly ago that it has been a bad season for neck rot developing in onions and shallots to the extent that seed for the show varieties is being sold at over £1 per bulb. Really down to wrong atmospheric conditions at the wrong time allowing mould and fungal spores into the bulbs. As VVg says, slice and freeze or have loads of fried onions/onion rings rather than risk losing them and again also as VVG says, keep really well ventilated in a frost free place.

There are treatments available to try to prevent these problems but I prefer to eat mine au natural (sans les rotten bits of course)

[PAULW]

Have you cut them to see where the rot is coming from is it possible that the onion started to send up a seed shoot just before you picked them and it is this that is rotting

[lottie dolly]

every year i loose some to neck rot,and have never had any joy with shallots,like you mine were dry and looked after,my lesson is,do waste money buying shallots,and put the growing space to other things lol,regards the onions,i to chop and freeze any misfits,it's also handy to have some ready prepared for busier times,ifyou can find them in the bottom of freezer lol,i think most people get it to some degree,if they admit it,

[Headfry]

Thanks folks, gosh I don't think I have ever had neck rot before, and I don't think I like it very much. yuck!

PAULW - I will look with greater care next time I use one, its a very good point.

VVG They seemed 'sound' when I pulled and dried them. I will try and get a pic - always had problems posting pics, but will give it another go, may take a while though - HF not great with computers

Thanks Aberdeenplotter - maybe it was just something about this grey, cold, damp year! grrrr - but as we say...there is always next year and without failures I wouldn't learn much.

Thanks lottie dolly, I have never noticed it before in 18 years - perhaps I did not look well enough and just threw out poorly onions. Maybe it was in some of my previous harvests but only in small deformed onions.... don't know really - sorry

What's the best method for freezing onions please?
Do they need any pre freezing treatment?

Thank you!

[singleseeder]

Freezing? Relatively simple.

Freeze Onions - How to Freeze Onions

Triple wrap at least, unless you like everything smelling of onion.

[VirginVegGrower]

I don't do anything to them other than slice chop and freeze in a bag. Maybe it was soft rot, occurring in storage if they looked OK before. It can happen and has to me before.

[Munch]

Some of my onion have done the same. Absolutely fine when pulled, fine while handing in plaits but then the odd one starts to rot from the top down!

Can I just ask, does freezing onions weaken their potency at all?

[morverngirl]

My onions rotting in storage too, but at the root end. Dried on wire shelves outside, no rain and warm in this area. Felt firm when stored in net onion bags but only when taken into house from garage and cut did i find the rot. Should they be in the light or dark. Doesn't look like white rot as a few were affected but these were used up very quickly. All my onions were harvested in June .

[VirginVegGrower]

Some of my onion have done the same. Absolutely fine when pulled, fine while handing in plaits but then the odd one starts to rot from the top down!

Can I just ask, does freezing onions weaken their potency at all?

Not affected my hot little bu@@ers!

[VirginVegGrower]

I am pretty sure it's soft rot that happens in storage, but not 100%. As for what causes it, I don't know am afraid. Probably as AP says above, mould spores and bacterium. I don't spray any of my crops either and if it can happen to a man who knows his onions, then it can happen to anyone. Use the rotting ones up quick and as I said before, I would chop and freeze.
You win some, you lose some.

[Headfry]

Thank you all so much....what fab people we have on the vine.
I will check my onions and freeze the worrying ones...probably most of them in that case

[Currysniffa]

I've had the same problem with some of my onions rotting in storage so I sautéed them in a little oil and butter and froze them....

[Two_Sheds]

I would be tempted to slice and freeze, so as to stop the rot and means you can salvage something from your harvest.

I would be tempted to slice and freeze, so as to stop the rot and means you can salvage something from your harvest.

there's an echo in here

and what's that funny link in your post ifine?