Downy mildew, onions and leeks

[Millymollymandy]

I've started pulling all my onions because they are rotting very quickly.

However there are young leeks in that same bed doing OK, but when the time comes to transplant them out, should I put them where the onions were?

This is what I did last year because it is my onion family bed and I'm following a crop rotation for my 5 beds.

I could plant the leeks elsewhere if there is any chance of downy mildew hanging around in the soil to attack them even if it mucks up the crop rotation.

Any ideas/advice?

[ina]

Personally, I wouldn't plant them in the onion spot - but I don't know how far that's based in science, or whether it's just my personal feeling that there might just be something left... Better be on the safe side than lose your leek as well! My rotation regularly goes up the creek. I never have enough room on any of the beds, so a lot of squeezing in of things goes on. Mind you, I always start out right at the beginning of the year...

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks Ina, that is my gut feeling too. I usually have extra leeks that get bunged in any old place anyway and so far no probs with that.

So it'll be curly kale in the old onion bed then which won't be for a while yet and I'll have to squeeze the leeks in next to the sweetcorn and anywhere else I can find a space!