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Leek Moth - I think

oakridgeoakridge Posts: 83
in Fruit & veg

I've had everything this year - except potato blight which was last year - slugs, white fly and pigeons.  Just to finish everything off nicely there are little brown things in the white of the leeks which I believe may be moth.  The two pieces of advice I can find are to cover with netting - too late for that - or to pick them off but my eyesight is so pathetic that I cannot see them until I have dug the leeks up and I can look closely.

Is the best thing to give up this year and net them next year?  I am not organic, but finding a pesticide without a long withdrawal period isn't easy.

Thank you

Malcolm Brown

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Posts

  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806

    My leeks has what I think was Leek Moth a few years ago. It happened two years running - the leeks were chewed to shreds and totally unuseable. I did use a spray but it made no difference, so I just gave up growing leeks.

    I think I will try a few next year and see whether the beasties have left the area. They didn't attack the other aliums, just the leeks. I do miss having leeks to use in the winter.

  • oakridgeoakridge Posts: 83

    I have put a photo on the flickr BBC Gardeners World Group here:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/norwichhouse-oakridge/37936264766/in/pool-bbcgardenersworld/

  • Alpaca123Alpaca123 Posts: 1

    We have been growing leeks for 40 years and have never had leek moth. We have had to dig them all up. Have other people had a problem this year?image

  • oakridgeoakridge Posts: 83

    I have some later planted leeks which are about 50yds from the affected ones so I will hope for the best.  It seems to have been a good year for every best going - roll on next year.

  • plot22plot22 Posts: 3
    We are having the same problem here in the east of the Netherlands. We thought it was leek moth too, but apparently it is allium leaf miner. The only advice that I can find here on the forum, or from the RHS, is to cover the crop with agricultural fleece. But I can't seem to get a handle on when to do this. I'll keep looking and post more if I find some detailed advice.
    We have had our allotment for 3 years now and this was the first year we even managed to get the leeks to a decent size; such a shame to have them infested now!

    plot22

  • derbyduckderbyduck Posts: 137
    plot22 said:
    We are having the same problem here in the east of the Netherlands. We thought it was leek moth too, but apparently it is allium leaf miner. The only advice that I can find here on the forum, or from the RHS, is to cover the crop with agricultural fleece. But I can't seem to get a handle on when to do this. I'll keep looking and post more if I find some detailed advice.
    We have had our allotment for 3 years now and this was the first year we even managed to get the leeks to a decent size; such a shame to have them infested now!
    dig them up and Burn them ! Do Not compost  them !
  • derbyduckderbyduck Posts: 137
    just to add the dark red bits are the crissylis of the fly.

  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I had leek moth attack a few years back I noticed them in the leaves in August of the year, I cut the leaves right down to the ground and destroyed them, the leaves quickly recovered but the leeks were small and lacked flavour that year. Since then I have covered leeks with insect barrier by the middle of July and haven't had an attack since.
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    For the first time ever lost all our leeks this year, don't know the cause.
  • Caroline117Caroline117 Posts: 45
    I also think this is the leaf miner as my leeks went from looking perfect to having subtle whitish flecks on the green leaves to some collapsing and others when harvested revealing little reddish pupae and mined tracks on the white stems. Apparently there are two generations of the pest. From March to May when the pupae hatch in the spring after overwintering around your crops, to the second generation (often claimed to be the worst) laying their eggs in Aug To November) . I unf ornately uncovered mine at this time last year so the plan this year is to grow in a seperate bed (this includes all other allium crops) and keep under ultrafine mesh for the duration. Hope that helps
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