I have a feeling this is not my year! I discovered Early Blight on my potatoes yesterday and now I've found leek moth larvae on my garlic.
The old leaves are firm but have streaks of orange and the new leaves are very squishy. I've cut off all the affected leaves and I don't think they have done any damage to the bulbs yet. Is there anything else I can do?
Thanks
Leek moth
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Hi Cat,
Oh! Just down the road so to speak. (in truth at least 55 miles)
Now Leek Moth is a comparative newcomer to these shores and I do not think that it has reached Gloucestershire yet. Certainly people like Beryl in the Portsmouth area have be plagued over the last few years with Leek Moth and Beryl is probably the person to describe the moth and what remedies they have taken in that area. Having not had to contend with these moths I am afraid my input is a big nil.
I know the subject has come up before and a search may throw some light on the subject.
JB.
Oh! Just down the road so to speak. (in truth at least 55 miles)
Now Leek Moth is a comparative newcomer to these shores and I do not think that it has reached Gloucestershire yet. Certainly people like Beryl in the Portsmouth area have be plagued over the last few years with Leek Moth and Beryl is probably the person to describe the moth and what remedies they have taken in that area. Having not had to contend with these moths I am afraid my input is a big nil.
I know the subject has come up before and a search may throw some light on the subject.
JB.
I've searched the net and am fairly certain it is leek moth. Here is a link that shows it
http://www.massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQshe ... kmoth.html
From the searches I've done I can't find any advice except to cover the plants as seedlings to stop the adult laying on them. Commercial growers have access to chemical treatment, but home growers don't.
I think I had them last year, but didn't notice whilst the plants were growing. However, the onions in store soon had the little buggers tunnelling out of them to pupate on the outside (they pupate in a little net type thing). I've noticed a small amount of damage on my onions aswell so have removed those leaves.
http://www.massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQshe ... kmoth.html
From the searches I've done I can't find any advice except to cover the plants as seedlings to stop the adult laying on them. Commercial growers have access to chemical treatment, but home growers don't.
I think I had them last year, but didn't notice whilst the plants were growing. However, the onions in store soon had the little buggers tunnelling out of them to pupate on the outside (they pupate in a little net type thing). I've noticed a small amount of damage on my onions aswell so have removed those leaves.
I'm afraid Johnboy I have to tell you that the Leek moth has well and truly arrived in Glos. I've suffered from it from several years now.
I seem to remember that Beryl is our resident expert on this one. Hopefully she'll pick up on this posting.
There is no easy cure for it. One thing that is very effective apparently is growing under mesh but if you have a large crop of leek this may not be very practical. Overwintering crops can make the the problem worse and one recommendation was to keep the plot clear of leeks for some time in late winter and to dispose of the old plants properly.
None of this helps you very much at the moment though 456. This is the first generation that you are suffering from - there is a second, more troublesome, generation in the Autumn.
John
I seem to remember that Beryl is our resident expert on this one. Hopefully she'll pick up on this posting.
There is no easy cure for it. One thing that is very effective apparently is growing under mesh but if you have a large crop of leek this may not be very practical. Overwintering crops can make the the problem worse and one recommendation was to keep the plot clear of leeks for some time in late winter and to dispose of the old plants properly.
None of this helps you very much at the moment though 456. This is the first generation that you are suffering from - there is a second, more troublesome, generation in the Autumn.
John
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
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vivienz
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Hi Cat,
Beryl is, indeed, the expert on this, but I'm afraid there is nothing much to be done about it - they are a particularly disgusting pest.
After having had my leeks done for over the past 3 years, I have invested in some enviromesh to cover up with, as there is no chemical deterrent available to us.
That said, it seems to help if the leek plants are bigger when they get planted out, as they are better able to withstand attacks and then grow on again. Most of my neighbour's leeks were affected too, but we all still got a decent crop, even if they looked rather ragged, but the much smaller plants high a high attrition rate.
Sorry not be the bearer of good news, but enviromesh is worth thinking about as it lasts for years. Have a look through the archive for the discussions on leek moth in previous years for more background.
Best wishes,
Vivien
Beryl is, indeed, the expert on this, but I'm afraid there is nothing much to be done about it - they are a particularly disgusting pest.
After having had my leeks done for over the past 3 years, I have invested in some enviromesh to cover up with, as there is no chemical deterrent available to us.
That said, it seems to help if the leek plants are bigger when they get planted out, as they are better able to withstand attacks and then grow on again. Most of my neighbour's leeks were affected too, but we all still got a decent crop, even if they looked rather ragged, but the much smaller plants high a high attrition rate.
Sorry not be the bearer of good news, but enviromesh is worth thinking about as it lasts for years. Have a look through the archive for the discussions on leek moth in previous years for more background.
Best wishes,
Vivien