Now I'm totally confused.... :(

I want a permanent onion bed, year in, year out. Robinsons (of mammoth onion fame) have a 140 year old onion bed still in use and producing top notch onions. Most other sites though, recommend the crop rotation method. I'm growing my onions in raised beds so rotation would be a problem. I know the importance of soil hygiene but think I can keep my bed free of bacterial and fungal contamination.

Any views welcomed :D

 

Cheers for that John, I'm still in my early days of onion growing from seed, had ****e results from the onion bed this year but I hadn't prepared it properly (which I've now done) AND we have had a nightmare spring/summer this year?

 

Hi Vince. My father always used a permanent site/bed for his onions and as I recall, had no problems using this method, he grew some whoppers too ! It'll be interesting to get more views on this, good thread :thumb:

 

Hi Vince, I have 11 raised beds one of which is for onions only. When my onions were harvested this year I turned the soil over and planted Carrots in the onion box just to confuse the new onions I planted 10 days ago . I must say presently my onions are doing ok.

Here is a pic of my Carrots in my Onion box I planted in July.

 

The reason why it`s recommended that you rotate onion crops, is to prevent the build of White Rot. This is a disease which is devastating to ALL members of the onion family. If you are unlucky enough to get this disease in your onions then that bed is off limits to onions and leeks for at least 7 years. Having said all that, I would say that, as long as you treat the bed with Jeyes or Armillatox, you are reducing the chance of this disease building up in the soil.:thumb:

 

David I am not treating my on plot with Jeyes as it stincks.:D

 

Hi Dai. Does white rot like certain conditions to thrive ?

 

Your choice Fancy, but the smell will go away in a couple of weeks.:thumb:

 

Hello Dai,
On the 8th of Oct,I done my greenhouse soil with and "old" lot of Jeyes and covered the soil with a poly sheet, there was only a strong smell for a few days, nothing now.( the poly is still down!)

The reason I said "old" is the chap in the gardening club "sales" said to me they, Jeyes had taken an essential ingredient out off the new Jeyes, and it did not work the same!
He said he had checked the old against new ingredients on the side of the container!
Any thoughts or info on your part?

Cheers!

 

Im sure they have changed the make up of it due to the euro regs however it should still work corectly.


Personally I wouldnt risk white rot by non rotation.

 

Jeyes Fluid, and Armillatox, were taken off the market, simply to remarket themselves as disinfectants rather than pesticides. they have not changed chemically.

 

Jeyes is still widely available and I WILL be using it on my onion beds, I only asked the question cos I'm thinking of doing the same on the allotment?

 

Go for it Vince, the products are there for your benefit. With so many products being banned we need all the help we can get.:thumb:

 

Freddy, white rot is worse in hot, dry summers. For those of you who will point out that we HAVE NOT had a hot dry summer this year, let me tell you, that the spores can survive in the soil for years. No matter the weather.