Shallot Pests And Diseases

Shallots can be affected by pests and diseases and often they are similar to onion. The possible problems are:-

Thrips attack the foliage and eat the leaves from the inside and the plants will eventually die. It is possible to use a detergent spray but the best method is to take out and destroy the plants or a regular basis.

Onion fly are laid in the neck of the onion and will tunnel into the bulb and destroy it, occurs mainly in large onions. The infected onion should be removed and destroyed and the infected area turned over so that predators can feed on them. Use crop rotation to finish the job

Eel worm is a microscopic bug that bores into the onion and makes it swell and go misshapen, remove and destroy the onion and do not plant in the same area for several years, the longer the better but at least 3 years, other vegetables like carrots and beans should also not be sown there.

Onion white rot is not a particularly common problem but if it occurs it is a disaster. It is a white mould that forms on the base of the bulb and once in the crop in cannot be halted. The only way is to leave the soil free of onions and related plants for up to ten years.

Storage problems can occur with the shallots rotting and this is due to insufficient drying. Dry the bulbs for at least 2 weeks and them store them dry. Stringing onions is still the best way, just tie the first shallot on the bottom and then wind the dried end of the next shallot around the string and keep going up and round to form a good French onion sellers string.

Need more information? Then find out How To Grow Shallots

By Richard Allen -