[Lardman]

I noticed the other day a few were looking worse for wear. Today having looked closely, the central stem is being eaten away but small white maggots and the leeks themselves smell very pungently of rotting leek. Im not sure if its leaf miner or leek moth but result is the same.

Guess it's best to lift & destroy them then cross leeks off the ever shortening list of things I can grow.

[mumofstig]

That's bad news
maybe invest in some more netting?

[Lardman]

Short of covering every bed with enviromesh I'm not sure what I can do. 

[Janeymiddlewife]

Mine got leek moth last year, rust the year before, this year (so far, everything crossed) they're doing OK, might be worth trying again in a different spot next year?

[Comfortably Numb]

I noticed the other day a few were looking worse for wear. Today having looked closely, the central stem is being eaten away but small white maggots and the leeks themselves smell very pungently of rotting leek. Im not sure if its leaf miner or leek moth but result is the same.

Guess it's best to lift & destroy them then cross leeks off the ever shortening list of things I can grow.

Hi Lardman,

Sounds like the dreaded leek moth. We have it bad down here every year.
I have had success with cutting them down to almost ground level. They quite happily grow on again. In fact it seems to give them a spurt.
Those that have gone mushy, are probably too far gone, but any that are not too bad, it's worth a try.
I noticed some of mine had been attacked again this morning, so cut off the top four inches or so.

[viettaclark]

Mine were badly eaten last year...the green core had been munched and some middles went mushy.
I trimmed back the worst ones and actually ALL of the plants regenerated and the white bit wasn't affected.
I would leave them in and give it a couple of months.....

[Lardman]

I'm honestly not sure if they'll survive if I trim them, they're not exactly the world most healthy specimens If they're going to end up on the compost heap I'd rather do it now and get a sowing of GM in the ground.

I've rotated them around the best I can but its not easy with a small patch, This is the 3rd year so Im about ready to chuck the towel in with them.

I'll have another look later.

[Nicki85]

I've had leek moth and rust on mine this year too    I've always been told that leeks are one of the hardiest/ easiest things to grow!  I meshed mine to start with then they got rust and the moth managed to creep in under the mesh... I'll try once more next year with mesh from the start and see how we go. So frustrating- I love leeks !

[Quetzal]

From what I have read, the leek moth is travelling north after coming to the UK from France. We have it this year for the first time. Most of the leeks got pulled un june-ish time, and a few seem to have weathered the onslaught. It's annoying because it was the first year the our leeks have got past the 'weedy spring onion' stage to actually look like leeks.

Next year they'll have to be covered, I suppose. That's a shame too, since it's quite nice to have an allotment that actually looks like plants growing rather than a series of mesh cages.

[AlaninCarlisle]

It hasn't reached Cumbria yet. Mine (Musselburgh and Bulgarian Giants) are the best I've ever had