Marshland Onions Lost In Winds

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31843, 22 November 1968, Page 1

Marshland Onions Lost In Winds

Marshland onion growers have had a difficult season getting young crops established, and unless the over-all acreage is greater this year, the harvest next autumn could be down.

Strong winds in October were the cause. On the fine, peaty ground, subject to wind-blow, the young crops were cut off. In some cases it was possible to plough, and resow, but market gardeners do not hold out good prospects for crops sown after Labour week-end. Mr L. T. Free, a market gardener in Marshland Road, estimated this week that within a radius of half a mile of his property, the onion crop for next autumn would be down by 200 tons. But it was hard to estimate, he said. If the acreage was greater, that would compensate. An expensive part of onion growing is weed control. Before the young plants emerge, sprays are applied at a cost of about $2O an acre. “It becomes a bit expensive when you lose the young crop,” Mr Free said. According to Mr Free, onions can be sown again, providing the paddock is ploughed. But at the time the onions were lost, it was getting late. Mr Free lost eight acres of young onions. He redrilled two acres, and put the rest in potatoes. Onions average 16 to 20 tons an acre at Marshland. Mr Free said some years ago he drilled onions in November, and harvested nine tons an acre. Nevertheless, it Was risky to plant late. The loss of young onion crops in peat ground was not uncommon. It was something

growers had to live with. On heavier ground, market gardeners did not have the same problem.