Hallelujah! My onions have risen from the dead...MIRACLE! Praise the onion goddess!
Only about 10% are dead or doomed, and another 15% are significantly affected but putting out strong new growth. The great news is that some 75% have recovered and appear to be growing on schedule!
Our local Cooperative Extension agent diagnosed the malady as a fungal disease, likely initiated my the 5" rain storm we had a couple of weeks ago during some cool weather, causing some water soaked lesions. Lately it has been warm and dry, which has helped the onions recover. The agent said they may very well grow out of it, but also said not to plant in the same location for the next two years. I can manage that!
Dixondale was so helpful and reshipped the order for free, but since these are now some six weeks late I wouldn't expect full sized onions from them. Nevertheless I'll plant them, and hope my main crop continues to recover and yield larger ones.
Garden back on track. The cellar seedlings are all in the hardening off process, and all warm crops will be out within a week.
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