Onion leaves eaten!

[Trix]

I have pulled two of my onions out today because the leaves have all gone - they were just bulbs sitting in the ground! Some of the others are looking pretty ragged too so I think they'll all need early pulling. Is this likely to be slugs/snails or something else - do slugs even like onions? And, if it's 'something else', will the onions be ok to eat (they look ok-ish, just smaller than they should be...)?

Thank you, clever people!

[Bigmallly]

You're lucky Trix, I've just been down & pulled up half a dozen Onions as the bulbs had been eaten, Just the outer skin was left...............................not sure what's eaten yours but my guess is mice or moles on mine.

[Trix]

You're lucky Trix, I've just been down & pulled up half a dozen Onions as the bulbs had been eaten, Just the outer skin was left...............................not sure what's eaten yours but my guess is mice or moles on mine.

Oh, that's not good, at least I still have the useful bit left. Not likely to be mice here as nearly everyone seems to have a cat!

[Penellype]

I find once the onions bend over the slugs do tend to have a go at the leaves, particularly if its wet. I ease them out of the ground and dry them at that point. I'm drying my Red Baron onions at the moment, but they are not great - I have already found 2 that are rotting before they dry and loads of them bolted earlier. I'm sticking to old faithful Sturon in future.

[strange carrot]

I've found that it's caterpillars that actually live inside the leaf tubes and they'll devour the plant but not the bulbs.

@Penellype - I'm happy when a few bolt as the flowers are wonderful to eat and the bees love them, too!

[bearded bloke]

The greenery on mine gets slugged after it touches the ground

[alldigging]

Slugs! I have photos to prove they've been eating mine.