Onion Problems

[Darklands]

Help. It seems that everyone on our allotments is having this problem (see pics). Whether it's onions, shallots or leeks, seed or sets, we are all getting it! No obvious bugs. Anyone got any ideas what the problem could be?

[fishpond]

Did you all get manure from the same source? just a thought.

[Darklands]

As far as I know manure has come from a variety of sources, both horse and cow, and I haven't manured this year although I did last year. It seems pretty random.

[Mr Bones]

I've had exactly the same problem, all outward appearances point to onion eelworm but the pattern of contamination doesn't really follow what I'd expect from infected beds. Notably both seed and sets with wriggly leaves were grown on in shop bought compost, including those used for infill amongst earlier planted crops. Sets planted directly into the plot are not affected so far.



Edit to say, didn't use FYM or stable muck on this bed last year (just composted rabbit cage muck and well rotted plot-made compost. Prior to that the plot had been neglected for at least three years).

[fishpond]

Seems to point to something in the compost, might have all come from the same source even though different brand names. Other than that, I do not have a clue.

[Bigmallly]

Looks like this could be the culprit:

http://www.sandwellallotments.btik.c...lliumLeafMiner

[roitelet]

I have the same problem on the white onions. The yellow ones are unaffected neither are the red ones, they are just bolting! No Manure on the ground just compost, home made.

[Bill HH]

So that's another thing we have to grow under environmesh, might as well just garden in the bedroom.

[veggiechicken]

Just throw your net curtains over the plants, Bill and sleep with your curtains drawn back

[Darklands]

Looks like this could be the culprit:

http://www.sandwellallotments.btik.c...lliumLeafMiner

Sounds possible as we are on the Staffs/Derby border and it seems like a midlands problem at the moment. One thing I have noticed is that it doesn't seem to have affected the over wintering onions (Radar) and has only affected the newly planted sets /seeds. I'll see if in can find any trace of the little s**s later today. Thanks for your input.

[Mr Bones]

Looks like this could be the culprit:

http://www.sandwellallotments.btik.c...lliumLeafMiner

Thanks for that BM, it certainly looks like it. Other plot holders onions are showing symptoms and my perennial multiplying onions are starting to get wriggly leaves (blimmin, blimmin damn, I love those things..). It'll end up with us growing everything in close-mesh cages.
So far the well developed overwintering onions look like they might be holding their own (hope I'm not speaking too soon) but the red maincrops are beginning to suffer.

[Currysniffa]

We've got what looks like the same problem on our site. I had it last year too. I think its Onion Eelworm ( https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=On...m=122&ie=UTF-8 ) I've started lifting and binning my onions. This is the second year I've had this so I'm not bothering for a few years now.

[Mr Bones]

Just to update, have today binned 455 onions, they all developed wriggly leaves or had rotted (or both) and when cut into had 5mm grubs in the bulb. So far only my over-wintering onions, garlic and elephant garlic have survived.

[lottie dolly]

Our lotties have it as well,eel worm,wonder if it's owing to a mild winter,i always rotate crops,on a 4 year,the garlic seems to be the worst,got no skapes this year,pulled a few up,some ok,some are soft and white fungus,and soggy eeeeeeeeeuk,

[TrialAndError]

Allium Leaf Miner - it could well be. They cause distorted leaves and when the onion is cut open there will be one or more tiny grubs in it. But the other sign is light green / grey spots in lines along the leaves. These are caused by the adult fly puncturing the leaves to feed on the sap. They don't cause much damage, it's the grub which rots the onion, but they are a very definite identifying sign of allium leaf miner. Any signs of those puncture marks?