gutted ive found leek moth

[hawthorns]

just been up the plot and my onions and garlic have leek moth on them . is it too late to plant onion sets

[Paulottie]

Oh dear I think it is too late

...But thank you for bringing it to my attention as I found this fact sheet and learned a little....Fact Sheet – Leek moth.... I'm relatively new to leek moth problems with a bit of damage last year in August/Sept. (nearly pulled them up but luckily not as they recovered well.) I didn't realize there were two cycles a year.

I've got enviromesh for setting out but I've been leaving out boxes of leeks and have loads of onions and garlic out. can't cover the lot but will be vigilant

[hawthorns]

lost all my leeks last year, so covering them this year. now they have attacked my onions and garlic, so i will be covering them next year. evil gits

[Two_Sheds]

I get leek moth every year. It tends to attack the leeks and not the onions though.

With leeks, I keep them under debris netting; even so, some will be infested. Those that are, don't pull them up, just slice them off an inch below the soil and they will regrow (sans maggot)

This year I've delayed sowing until May, and not planting out till June to try and avoid the first wave of egg-laying

[womble]

So where do you sow TS? Do they not go for seedlings?

[Two_Sheds]

So where do you sow TS? Do they not go for seedlings?

I sow in modules at home, then plant out when the baby leeks are pencil thickness

[womble]

Where do you keep the modules while they are growing and do you know why the moth doesn't attack them then, or maybe they do but it isn't noticed?

[Paulottie]

Found definite signs of shredding and gritty moth damage on one batch of garlic. Some Autumn planted onions have holes in leaves....Is this the sign of entry?..no obvious sign on spring sets yet...never considered them a pest of onions before....but have noticed holes before this year....no problems with storage though...perhaps the damaged ones all fall to white rot?

Boxes of leeks just sitting around outside greenhouse...can't see a problem but???

I remember TS bemoaning that this is now yet another crop to grow under cover...my whole lottie is a sea of enviromesh and net curtains.

Grrrrrrrr.

[Two_Sheds]

Where do you keep the modules while they are growing

at home

[smallholder dreamer]

Aha that sounds just like the little blighters that I found on my onions and shallots today... grrr - so will I lose all my crop if I don't eradicate them. I've got loads of onions and can't possibly go through them all, it would take hours. Not yet planted my leeks. Should I plant then fleece them to prevent the second wave of moths laying eggs on them?

[womble]

at home

What I really meant was, do you keep them under mesh or anything like that?
Because if you just keep them in pots in the garden, why don't the leek moth attack them there?

[Two_Sheds]

I don't get leek moth in the back garden, never have, probably because there are no host plants nearby for the moth to lay eggs on, so no new moths hatch etc. Whereas on the lotty, everyone grows leeks so the moth has an ideal breeding ground.

[womble]

So they'll attack any sized plant, right from tiny seedlings?

[hawthorns]

Aha that sounds just like the little blighters that I found on my onions and shallots today... grrr - so will I lose all my crop if I don't eradicate them. I've got loads of onions and can't possibly go through them all, it would take hours. Not yet planted my leeks. Should I plant then fleece them to prevent the second wave of moths laying eggs on them?

i am covering my leeks with enviromesh as i lost the lot last year. i will cover every thing allium next year. my onions and garlic are invested with them

where in wilts are you.

i have started a wiltshire social group u can find it on communties come and join us