Pests & diseases › White Rot
White Rot
Devastating soil-borne fungal disease of onions, garlic and leeks. White fluffy growth on bulb base.
Symptoms
- Yellow, wilting foliage
- Soft white fluffy mold on bulb base
- Tiny black resting bodies (sclerotia) in the mold
- Plants pull out easily
Lifecycle
Sclerotia survive in soil for 15+ years.
What to do
- Pull and bag (NEVER compost) every affected plant
- Wash boots and tools
If it's bad
- None
Stop it coming back
- Buy only from trusted certified suppliers
- Never bring soil from elsewhere
- Once infected, bed is out of alliums for 15 years
- Grow alliums in containers if soil is infected
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.