Leeks dieing

[Digeroo]

Last year I grew leeks for the first time and they were brilliant.  This year I managed to get them through the drought.   But now they are more of less dead.  They have just gone brown and given up.   Can anyone please explain why?

[Digeroo]

[macmac]

leek moth ?
Cut 'em level with the ground,I did mine and they're growing again lush and green  :)

[Tee Gee]

I find variety can play it's part so can you tell me the variety?

I have feeling you are growing a blanching variety and I find that these don' t perform as well as 'pot' type late into the season.

I don't grow blanching types but if  did I would have normally harvested them by this time of the year.

I have found that on coolish damp years they go brown,snotty and limp if allowed to grow as late as this.

But that's only my findings perhaps others have differing results.

[Digeroo]

A have several different varieties and they are all the same.  There is not a leek standing all over our allotment site.  Most of my are either musselborough or winter giant. 

We have not had a damp season we had five months of drought then two weeks of wet and then back to the drought.

Last year I harvested them all winter.

[chriscross1966]

I'[ve just had to give mine a mothectomy, hoping they come back, I needa  few decent weeks to bring them back.... hope they m,anage to, it isn't winter without leek and potato soup.....

[tomatoada]

My leeks are not as good as last year.  Is there a feed which I could use to boost their growth?

[goodlife]

It start to be bit late for feeding..if they put on lush new growht it may not be tough enough for cold weather..but you can try..
If I were to try..I would 'dilute' some chicken pellet into water..and give some of that... ;)

[shirlton]

We have grown Bleu de solaise for the last 2 years and they have been great however we do cover them with enviromesh. Once bitten twice shy

[tomatoada]

Thanks goodlife.   I have a big tub of pellets so will give it a go.

[Garden Manager]

I too have had a similar problem. Some but not all of my leeks are looking rather sorry for themselves, the foliage is very tatty, with white streaking on the leaves before they collapse and go 'mushy' in the centre. I have spotted some very tiny grubs inside the leaves. i am assuming this is leek moth.

This is very disappointing. Until recently they were looking really good.

Is it true that you can cut them down and they will come back OK? Doesn't the moth grubs get into the bit below ground and destroy that too?

Otherwise I am guessing that only cure is prevention with some form of barrier like you would do with carrots against carrot fly?

[Digeroo]

Obviously last year was beginners luck.  Don't like them enough to be bothered to cover them.

Interestingly some I transplanted very late are very small but actually fine.

[macmac]

I too have had a similar problem. Some but not all of my leeks are looking rather sorry for themselves, the foliage is very tatty, with white streaking on the leaves before they collapse and go 'mushy' in the centre. I have spotted some very tiny grubs inside the leaves. i am assuming this is leek moth.

This is very disappointing. Until recently they were looking really good.

Is it true that you can cut them down and they will come back OK? Doesn't the moth grubs get into the bit below ground and destroy that too?

Otherwise I am guessing that only cure is prevention with some form of barrier like you would do with carrots against carrot fly?

I'd say it's definately leek moth.Cut them down it does work .So does enviromesh when you first plant