Author Topic: Allium Leaf Miner  (Read 7117 times)

Jayb

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Allium Leaf Miner
« on: July 06, 2015, 09:01:25 »
I've just noticed some signs of  this pest, tunnelling under the skin of the leaves and a small brown grub. I've got them on my onions, potato onions and shallots  :sad10:
It's the first time I've seen it, I'm wondering if there is anything I can do for this years crop or is it all ruined?

I've also got leeks and garlic growing, I couldn't spot anything on the leaves but there might be some lower down in the bulb?

What's best to do for next year?
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Ellen K

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2015, 10:33:02 »
I feel your pain.  The critical thing seems to be when you plant your onions as to whether they will grow through it or not.  Last year all my onions caught it and then succumbed to secondary infections and I ended up pulling the whole crop out.  But my neighbour who plants late (sets in at the end of April) did manage to get a crop.

This year I planted under enviromesh which I took off mid May and they seem unaffected.  And other onion beds on the site which were not covered are now toast.

My over winter crop was planted at the end of November to miss their Autumn cycle but they caught it in the spring and although the bulbs look fine, when you cut them open you can find the grub.

Wretched, isn't it?

squeezyjohn

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2015, 12:55:48 »
This year the deer got mine before the allium leaf miner's could get a look in!

Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2015, 17:10:39 »
Thanks Ellen, my leeks and onions from seed didn't go out until second week of May so perhaps they have missed the main period, although no reason why the fly wouldn't have found them in the greenhouse! I was so far behind this year (again) I was really chuffed when I finally got them all planted....

Enviromesh it is then.

Quote
Wretched, isn't it?

Yes, as if there weren't enough hazards already. My plot is becoming more and more plastic by the day. Not really the look I'm after!
I'm really naffed about the Potato Onions I was growing form seed.

Perhaps I'll look at making an allium cage to put everything in or some frames for the smaller 4x8' beds. Does regular Enviromesh keep them out or do you need the finer one?
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Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2015, 17:12:42 »
This year the deer got mine before the allium leaf miner's could get a look in!

That's one way to look at it.
Sorry you have been having problems too  :wave:
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johhnyco15

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2015, 20:42:50 »
its a shame i know but the only way to prevent them is to cover the crop its getting like my whole plot is a sea of white trying to stop one pest or another hope this helps white netting is best as it bounces the light around so plants dont get leggy  :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :wave:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Ellen K

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2015, 06:59:13 »
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Agralan-Giant-Enviromesh-6m-x-3-6m-Bird-Insect-Netting-/400717113773?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d4c99e9ad

Jayb this is what I bought and I marked an area about 4 m by 2m and made a low cage with 4 m HDPE water pipe.  I earthed up the netting after planting the sets and left it in place, watering through it, until 20th May.  By which time it was pretty weedy much to the derision of the Vets, and I couldn't stand it any more and lifted it to weed.  But now they are strong plants with some hope of making a crop.   And the Vets have gone a bit quiet.



Newbies 1 : Vets 0  :glasses9:

But don't count your onions until they are in a meal on the table.
« Last Edit: July 07, 2015, 07:01:23 by Ellen K »

Ellen K

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2015, 07:39:36 »
@johhnyco15: I just bought the netting and used it as directed but ...... looking at it, I did wonder if debris / scaffolding netting would have done the same job.  2 layers of the white version, if you can grow under that, would be pretty good.  But the enviromesh does look quite strong and should last several seasons with care.

pumkinlover

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2015, 07:53:42 »
Sorry you are having problems too.
I have had to rip out every allium this year. Sad that the welsh onions have gone and the Walla wallas. I think it was thrips and virus which got to mine.
I am still hoping to keep the garlics going which goodlife gave me a few years ago, by maybe growing them at home.

Thought that you might be remote enough to escape all the diseases we are succumbing to Jayb. :BangHead: Sorry you are having problems too.

pumkinlover

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2015, 07:59:43 »

Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2015, 14:34:36 »
Ellen thanks for the link, yes getting into weed is going to be an issue, always loads of weed seeds here. This year I'm trialling one 4 x 8 bed of onion sets using a corn starch biodegradable mulch, it seems to have worked well, if it weren't for the darn Leaf Miners!!!! I can't remember where I bought mine from but this is the type stuff http://www.mulchorganic.co.uk/product/natural-plastic-sheeting

Good luck with your onions  :sunny:



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Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2015, 14:46:47 »
Thought that you might be remote enough to escape all the diseases we are succumbing to Jayb. :BangHead: Sorry you are having problems too.

I had hoped we might stay clean of it for a while longer, as there's not many gardens about this way and it's mostly grazing or common land around.
Between this, your thrips, White rot, Rust and mildews, it's enough to make you cry.
I haven't dared look at the Welshies, Walking onions etc yet - too depressing.

Thanks for the link.
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

galina

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Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2015, 19:53:28 »
I've had a few garlic with white rot, but that's all I've lifted so far. I lost most of the shallots from bacterial rot last winter, and some of the walking onions were damaged by onion fly, then recovered. So it hasn't ben a good year for alliums!

Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2015, 08:39:34 »
Sorry to hear that Robert, White rot is the pits, some interesting threads on A4A about using garlic to reduce it's effects.
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Jayb

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2015, 08:56:13 »
Perhaps this year is not running to norm for these little blighters, but one lot of onions that have some miners in them were sown at the beginning of May, so the flies must have been active quite a bit after that to have laid eggs. Plus I only first started noticing signs of the grubs feeding in the leaves at the beginning of july, from what I've read it looks like the spring flush takes approx 30 - 35 days until they start to pupate. By this reckoning it sounds like the flies were active into June?
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Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2015, 20:25:59 »
I've always had a bit of white rot. I've managed to control it through rotation, but I';m going to start using garlic as well, and see if that helps.

squeezyjohn

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Re: Allium Leaf Miner
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2015, 23:00:57 »
Well I suppose onions are meant to make you cry!

 

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