Onion Sets

[haggis]

Have just received some onion sets and shallots by post. Must admit that I am a bit disappointed as they look really grotty. Some are obviously soft and mouldy, others have sprouted and are a bit soft whilst others have black spots on the skin. I would say that about half of them look sound. What do you think - bin the lot? Is there a risk of introducing disease if I use those which look OK?

Haggis

[alan refail]

Contact the supplier, complain and ask for a replacement. Then you can use all the healthy ones and probably not introduce any disease.

Alan

[jane E]

I had this problem in sets from Marshalls a few years ago. They were very inferior, but not so much it was worth the effort of complaining I only buy what I can see now - ie. in shops.

[Colin_M]

Contact the supplier, complain and ask for a replacement.

Agreed, I had a similar problem with Isle of Wight garlic. They were fine when I rang them, & replaced the duff ones without a murmur.

I should add that I've had no other problem with this firm. However their garlic "seed" is so expensive that I'm not prepared for any of it to be unusable!

Colin

[Johnboy]

Hi Haggis,
If the sets that you have been sent have any rot in them, even a single one, I would reject them all and the sheer fact that they have been in close proximity and confined in the same bag as the rotten one means that the possibility of the spores having infected all of them is very great. Even if they look fine I would burn the lot. I certainly would not run the possibly risk of contaminating my plot for what is, after all, a very slight gain.
Once you get problems with onions it is a very long time before you would be free of them if ever.
Burn them.
JB.

[Piglet]

I had the same with Red Baron sets from T&M last year, shocking quality, some were minute but the main problem was that they were packed wet and hence some were mouldy when I got them. I complained and were sent replacements but they were just as bad. To be fair I think they came from a third party and I did get a refund, but like Johnboy said, I just put mine in the dustbin and bought some from a local nursery.

[Chris]

Hi

I agree with JB - as usual - chuck them out and go to your local garden centre where you can see and feel what you are buying. And only buy when you need to plant.

[haggis]

Thanks for all the advice. I have e-mailed a complaint so will see what happens. I would hope that they send me some more but I suspect they will be the same quality. The ones I received were apparently quality checked!!

I won't risk planting any of the ones I currently have. It may well be a trip to my local garden centre for fresh stock. I get a lot of my supplies there but they only ever have one or two different types of onions/shallots - and none of my favourites, I've tried many different varieties over the last few years but always come back to my favourites.

Thanks again folks!

Haggis