Pests & diseases › White Rot
White Rot
Catch-all name often used for onion white rot — fluffy white fungal growth on base of allium bulbs.
Symptoms
- Yellowing wilting tops
- White fluffy mould below soil line
- Black pinhead sclerotia (resting bodies) in the mould
Lifecycle
Sclerotia persist 15+ years in soil.
What to do
- Lift and bin (never compost) every affected plant immediately
- Disinfect tools
If it's bad
- None
Stop it coming back
- Only ever buy from reputable, virus-tested suppliers
- Rotate alliums widely
- Once infected, switch to container-grown alliums
Crops it goes for
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.