The message
from Janet Galpin contains these words:

I don't know whether it's significant but this year my onions ended up
on a patch which had had quite a bit of compost added over the winter.
They didn't like it. The soil seemed too loose and it took them a long
time to get a foothold. I resolved not to grow them on freshly composted
ground in future. I just wondered whether too much manure could have the
same effect. However, you used manure in Cheshire too, so perhaps not.

Grow onions on depleted ground - first year of adding manure, try
caulis, celery, marrows, cucumbers etc. Second year, root veg, beans,
peas etc,. Third year, onions, shallotts, etc.

Onions are not successful 9usually) on rich soil.

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Rusty
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