Author Topic: Leeks turning to mush  (Read 2548 times)

Mart56

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Leeks turning to mush
« on: October 09, 2017, 08:46:05 »
I live in Neath South Wales and having grown leeks without a problem for 40 years.  This year they have all turned to mush.  Is that the dreaded leek moth?  If my eyesight was better perhaps I could find the little b........ and squish them.  I take it from other comments that enviromesh from August on is the best preventative.  I'm wondering if the global warming is sending pests and diseases further north.  I've never had so many bugs and diseases before.

rowbow

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2017, 09:41:14 »
I had the same problem earlier in the year, pulled up the ones that looked unhealthy peeled the layers back and found the little white grubs and chrysalis, they also invaded the onions that were not undercover, I had planted onions with my carrots covered
with enviromesh, at the moment the leeks that survived have had there tops cut off and are regrowing. All the infected plants were put in the bin for green waste, didn't want them to hatch in the compost.
I think we need a few hard touches of frost.

John
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Spring has arrived I am so excited I have wet my PLANTS

Paulh

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2017, 22:34:50 »
I have a different problem with leeks that has happened for the last few yars: when I dig them up, they look fine, but then develop rough pink lines, and discolour in the same way when cut up. Any ideas?

Thanks

Borlotti

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2017, 21:38:03 »
I had a few good leeks a couple of weeks ago, but they ones I had left to get bigger were a big disappointment.  Took them home and washed them but had to put they in the Council bin for recycling. 

Plot22

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2017, 06:59:05 »
I think the problem Posted by Paulh has is Allium Leaf Miner. Last year most of my site had it for the first time on the onions and garlic. This year I either covered all my garlic up or set the home grown onion and shallot plants out in late May result perfect onions. I did not cover my leaks as I was short of nets and I have just noticed that I now have it in the leaks. If I peel the first couple of layers off then I can see the black and red lavae they are useable but they will not keep. Next year I plan to reorganise my nets so as to cover the leeks. It appears I have caught the 2nd cycle of flies which come in September/early October.

Paulh

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2017, 12:05:39 »
I've not seen any grubs on my leeks yet and the damage is roughness stained pink rather than being eaten. I've found a scientific paper on the net that considers what chemicals present in leeks can cause pink staining but it doesn't indicate if there is something that can trigger it or the circumstances in which it is found.

kippers garden

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2017, 20:34:46 »
The allium leaf miner is a real pain and often causes onions and leeks to rot.  I wrote about it's life cycle a few years ago on my blog so I thought the info might be useful on this thread....so here it is:

Information about the Allium Leaf Miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma)

This is a pest that was only detected in Britain in 2002.  It has been spreading rapidly since and it has spread to many places in the Midlands .

The allium leaf miner isn’t choosy which allium it attacks.  Alliums include onions, leeks, garlic and shallots etc.

Symptoms:

The first sign is distinctive lines of white dots on the foliage.  This is where the adult fly (3mm long) has sucked the sap before it lays its eggs.

Next the white headless and legless maggots, approximately 5-8mm long, tunnel in the stems and bulbs of the plant.  I found them by cutting the bulb open.

Note:  The maggots are different to the leek moth.  The leek moth is white with a brown head and small legs.

Plants affected by the allium leaf miner tend to rot, from the damage it has caused on the plant.  If you look closely you may see the small brown pupae, 3-4 mm long, embedded in the stem or bulb.

Lifecycle:

The flies have two generations each year.  The adult flies lay their eggs in March / April and the next generation lay their eggs September to November.

The pupae overwinters in the plant or in the soil.

In the spring, the adults emerging from the pupae, lay eggs at the base of the allium stems. The first generation of larvae feed in April and May. The second generation is likely to feed in mid-September.

Chemical control:

There isn’t a chemical available to the amateur gardener that will control the pest

Non-chemical control:

Cover with fleece or environmesh when the adult flies are active (March – April and September – November).

Make sure you rotate your crops as the pupae may emerge as adult flies underneath your fleece if you keep your onions in the same place.
This is my simple living UK blog:  http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/

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Plot22

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2017, 12:31:07 »
Re : The excellent post by Kippers Garden. We have had Allium Leaf Miner for the last 2 years only after research did I find out what the problem was. This year I covered all my alliums with netting except the leeks and yes I caught it  on the leeks. Last year the leeks did not catch it but all the onions, shallots and garlic did. This year some of my neighbours caught it on their onions but on several plots the onions recovered. I agree the only way to avoid it is to cover all your alliums with netting it is an additional expense which puts all most everyone on my site from going down that route.

Seacarrot

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2017, 18:33:44 »
I’ve lost all my leeks to this pest, had my garlic, and onions infected as well. A very diminished crop.

It’s impossible to grow everything under enviromesh, but I’m trying....
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

Paulh

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Re: Leeks turning to mush
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2017, 21:07:12 »
Now clear that it is indeed the allium leaf miner. The slight good news is that they look to be at the pupae stage so no more damage will be inflicted. I'm getting up the leeks pretty quickly to get ahead of any rot but we're throwing away three quarters of the crop.

I'll use mesh over them next year, but if that doesn't work, then probably no more leeks which will be a loss.

 

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