Rust on garlic and leeks

[silverfork]

My shared allotment seems to be rife with rust. It ruins our leeks and garlic every year. The garlic doesn't keep well. What can I do to reduce the problem? I've tried putting vaseline on the pustules, which reduces it, but not for long. The soil is poor (not proper topsoil originally), and we dig in manure each autumn/spring/winter as much as we can, which is slowly improving it. It's pretty dry, right by the sea, sort of (menai straits), so little or no frost. Is it a case of air circulation, or can I stop the life cycle somehow?

[DaveInBraknell]

Hi,

Problem with rust is it is airborne and the spores life in the soil so once you have it your a bit stuck with it

Only cure I have found that works outside of vegetables is spray with old Gin, it should clear up (Belive it or not) we had bad rust on our leeks, we sprayed and it cleared up.

But there is no permanent cure

Dave

[silverfork]

Wow! Thanks. Don't keep gin in the house... presume some cheapo nasty gin will do. So does one spray do it, or do you have to keep it up regularly?

[DaveInBraknell]

Hi,

Avoid drinking whilst on the plot

Seriously, spray it a couple of times, should work I think we did it three or four times on our plot and it cleared up. What ever you do do not pull off the leaves and put them on your heap, the rust pustules will survive and reinfect.

Check out my feb 2009 blog post (double click on the leek piccie), it does really work

Dave

[Paulottie]

Protea once told me that garlic spray gives some protection (strange but reputedly true).

Burn not compost any diseased leaves is classic advice.

Intrerested in the gin idea ...but not quite sure i really want to share my gin....but will give it a go.

I think your problem maybe worsened by the poor soil. I have taken to growng garlic in much richer land of late and have had little problem with rust. Stronger plants tend to resist disease and pests of allsorts better.

[silverfork]

Thanks guys. We're working on the poor soil problem! Actually, the positive results of digging in immense amounts of horse manure have been really evident this year. We concentrated on the sweetcorn and squashes bed, and toms and spuds, and they're going great guns compared to last year, even accounting for the better weather. Fifty million more barrow loads in the autumn then!