Onion set - White rot
Does anyone have a successful cure or prevention for white rot on maturing onion sets that starts at the base of the plant eventually ruins it?
I think that it may be fungal.
We never suffered from it until about 4 years ago and the problem is that it is very difficult to spot before it gets a hold.
hi ,we seem to be getting this problem more and more as each yr goes be as well as the blight im down in hull on the east coast and ive had white rot for t he last three years now so i tried a raised bed last yr and still got it ive been given lots of different advise from dettol /jeyes fluid and varios other sterilisers but none of it worked so i asked a farmer one day who told me the only remedy is to replace the soil nt so easy when you have two allotments hope this helps you out regards bob
Have suffered from this for a couple of years, I have tried everything without success in the past.
Last autumn I drenched the beds I intended to use for onions and leeks this year in Armillatox (to the directions supplied). Armillatox is a patio cleaner made from natural ingredients and alson recommended for soil diseases. As a further prevention I also grew all my onions from seed, so that I knew exactly the growing medium used and also planted out in handfuls of compost so that the young bulbs did not touch previously contaminated soil.
Up to now my onions look strong and healthy but the proof will be when they are lifted, to see if the bulbs are rotten. White rot can also be spread by your garden tools so I wash mine after every use in Jeyes Fluid.
Will let you know the outcome when I lift some onions and shallots.
Regards
Dave G
The spoors remain in the soil for many years and can be carried from one part of the plot to another on boots and tools. Do not grow related crops or onions in affected land.
Do not compost any of the affected crop
I was told the other day by a serious show exhibitor that a fungicide called AMISTAR has some degree of success in preventing the infection taking hold.
I haven't tried it myself yet.
Has anyone else tried it?
What degree of success?
I would suspect that amistar is only available to farmers.
However, you could try an organic method of control as detailed here :- http://www.growyourown.info/page173.html
Hello all
When trying to eradicate white rot get rid of the onion AND THAT BIT OF SOIL IT WAS GROWN IN. The firm who grow the big mammoth onions do this and have been growing on the same site for 100 years plus
If the site is prepared correctly in Sept/Oct. and additional fertilizer at the beginning of the year there should not be a problem. Any badly affected ground should not be set with any onion related plant for at least 7 years.
I will post onion bed preparation instructions at the beginning of September.The same bed is used for all types of onions leeks and garlic
Happy gardening
Lottyman
in lab conditions the white rot fungus can stay active in the soil for nearly 20 years (without a host.) generally most things i have read suggest not using the affected section of soil for 8 years. So this may take some carefull planning with your crop rotation.
The fungus remains dormant in the soil till it finds the suitable host- in this case the onion family. So i have also read about making up a concentrated garlic solution and watering onto the affected soil, thus tricking the fungus into becoming active, as it thinks it has found it onion family host, and then decays as it has no real host to live on. There is no certainty with this method, as it would be pretty hard to test, but its possibly something to consider.
Mimmee
Hello Mimmee
I think watering with garlic juice on ground infected with white rot is an excellent idea and well worth trying
Happy gardening
Lottyman
This is one I am yet to experience, not that I am wishing upon myself, but some great advice guys I will be armed and ready if it arrives!
Regards
Hayley