doing. Choose only medium sized tubers, with absolutely no sign of any disease. Similarly, check over all bought seed potatoes and discard any diseased ones. Wash your hands after handling any seed potatoes that have been treated with fungicide powder.
Do not plant supermarket potatoes as seed potatoes, as these have frequently been treated to prevent them sprouting or growing, and they are not certified disease-free stock.
Do not plant supermarket potatoes as seed potatoes, as these have frequently been treated to prevent them sprouting or growing, and they are not certified disease-
Pests and diseases I have already covered Blight and Slugs. Eelworm holes cause a lot of damage, and it is best combated by choosing eelworm resistant varieties of potatoes, and strict rotation of potato beds. See Crop rotation. There is a new organic control for Eelworm, but it requires the ground to be taken out of productive use for a growing season. This would prove useful where an allotment has ben badly managed for several years and the eelworm eggs have become established and are lying dormant in the soil. The control is a selection of Solanum sisymbriifolium, a thorny, inedible relative of potatoes which strongly stimulates potato eelworm eggs in the surrounding soil to hatch, but there is nothing for them to feed on. According to Alan Romans, in trials 50-90% hatch rates were achieved - a stronger reaction than that produced by potatoes themselves. It can be chopped down to 15 cm in summer for composting and the re-growth will produce more beneficial root growth as well as more composting material. Assume all parts are poisonous. Scab, a wart like skin condition, does not affect the eating quality, and is associated with sandy soils. Rust spot is also associated with sandy soils. Both Scab and Rust Spot are controlled by adding humus and a general fertiliser. Spraig, a brown, corky discolouration is caused by a virus, and is again controlled by strict rotation.
ONIONS SETS
These are small immature onions whose growth has been suspended until they are planted again. Specially heat treated sets are less likely to bolt, i.e., go to seed. If a seed head does start to form, just pinch it out. However, eat these onions first as they will not store. Plant the sets just under the soil surface, some 15 cm apart, with the rows wide enough for you to hoe between them as they grow. Do not water them after May, as it may encourage white rot, and lift them in June or July, when the leaves have turned yellow or brown. Let them finish off drying in a well ventilated, sunny, covered place, such as a cold frame or greenhouse.
Pests and diseases. Onion fly causes a lot of damage, and White rot is caused by a fungus and stays a long time in the ground. Strict rotation of crops and not over-watering, helps to minimise this problem.
SHALLOTS
Shallot sets are individual small shallots, which multiply through the growing season through offsets. They are sweeter than onions and generally will store much longer than onions. When they are mature, they are much bigger than the ones you get in the supermarkets, which seem to have been grown from seed. Follow the growing and drying procedures as noted previously for onion sets. So called “Banana Shallots” or “echalions” are actually more closely related to onions, and have to be grown from seed each year.
Pests and diseases. See the comments for Onions.
These are small immature onions whose growth has been suspended until they are planted again. Specially heat treated sets are less likely to bolt, i.e., go to seed. If a seed head does start to form, just pinch it out. However, eat these onions first as they will not store. Plant the sets just under the soil surface, some 15 cm apart, with the rows wide enough for you to hoe between them as they grow. Do not water them after May, as it may encourage white rot, and lift them in June or July, when the leaves have turned yellow or brown. Let them finish off drying in a well ventilated, sunny, covered place, such as a cold frame or greenhouse.
Pests and diseases. Onion fly causes a lot of damage, and White rot is caused by a fungus and stays a long time in the ground. Strict rotation of crops and not over-
SHALLOTS
Shallot sets are individual small shallots, which multiply through the growing season through offsets. They are sweeter than onions and generally will store much longer than onions. When they are mature, they are much bigger than the ones you get in the supermarkets, which seem to have been grown from seed. Follow the growing and drying procedures as noted previously for onion sets. So called “Banana Shallots” or “echalions” are actually more closely related to onions, and have to be grown from seed each year.
Pests and diseases. See the comments for Onions.
Shallots growing through
Ground cover Fabric
A selection of Alliums drying
On rack in cold frame
Aprox. Conversion Chart.
2.5 cm = 1 inch
10 cm = 4 inches
15 cm = 6 inches
20 cm = 8 inches
30 cm = 1 foot
1 m = 3 foot 3 inches
1.5 m = 5 feet
4 m = 13 feet
