Topic: Leeks/onion fly

[foodie freddy]

I thought that I would pass on a tip about growing leeks.
Years ago one of those lovely 'old boys' that you meet on allotments told me off for pulling out my leeks! He told me that if you cut it off below ground level it will re-grow and that way you can get 3 leeks a year from one plant!!
I live on the Hampshire Dorset border and last year everyones leeks were attacked by the dreaded onion fly. So I tried the above and sure enough within a week they were above ground.

[macmac]

'Done this for the last 2 years thanks to "kittycat"I think from this forum.
Works a treat they're not as big but still pretty good  :)

[saddad]

Presumably you burn the infested/infected tops...  :o

[shirlton]

Will try that with whats left this year. Thanks for the info

[tomatoada]

Sounds a good idea.  Do you leave part of the leek above the roots?  A  bit slow here.

[saddad]

Not done it myself Tomatoada but yes leave some of the stem for the new growth to develop from... like if you cut across a cabbage stump you get new growth...  :)

[PurpleHeather]

Wow, something else I did not know, thanks

I think most of us would appreciate a photo of how a chopped off leek should be left, if some kind soul would provide one.

[tomatoada]

Thanks for your reply saddad but would like a picture as requested if possible.   Do you cut below ground and leave the remains covered with soil?

[chriscross1966]

I just cut mine off below the infested part, composted the bits I cut off, the fly pupae will have little chance against the rove beetles living in my compost heaps I'd have thought..... that said there is no-one near me growing veg in their back garden and I still got it so I don't think local hygiene makes much difference

[Robert_Brenchley]

It suddenly appeared on allotment sites all across Birmingham a few years back - we never had to worry about it before - so I assume the fly flies some distance.

[PurpleHeather]

With regard to the comments about infestations, seemingly coming from nowhere.

One gardener on our site suddenly got root problems with all the cabbages of one variety he had planted from seeds and potted up in compost from a well known chain of Builders merchants/DIY stores/Garden centres. When planted out they failed to flourish. The roots had not expanded beyond the pot size were swollen up and he identified the problem as 'club root'.

We know this store buys their compost from the place which handles the garden waste from Council collections. This bin is exactly where a lot of people throw anything not fit for their own compost heap.

His conclusion was that the infection came from that compost.

Whilst we argued that the composting process is supposed to destroy 'all known germs' we are now not sure that it does.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I can see that happening with a persistent fungus - we'll have to watch out for onion white rot in compost - but not with a fly!