[andy dewar]

Hi and happy new year to all ,for the last 2 years our allotment has been decimated with leek moth and i really like leeks so can anyone give advise how to grow them without the dreaded moths getting them any advise would be grateful and will help my fellow allotmenteers also  Thanks Andy

[mumofstig]

Grow them like carrots, under netting.

[beesrus]

Yes, it's the best answer Andy. And a decent small guage net to boot, not just a butterfly bet.
Also late plantings of greenhouse grown on leeks for Winter eating seem to get less damage where I am.

[GrowinGrowinGone]

I had leek moth damage this year, so I will be covering mine.  I have seen the damage they cause, but never actually seen the pest itself.  Would scaffold netting be sufficient to keep them out, or would it have to be micromesh?  Sorry to crash the topic, but thought I would ask while on the subject

[andy dewar]

thanks for the advise i will try growing them on in the greenhouse then net them when planting out 

[mumofstig]

Debris/scaffold netting is not really fine enough
See this previous post

Yes, it's the best answer Andy. And a decent small guage net to boot, not just a butterfly bet.
Also late plantings of greenhouse grown on leeks for Winter eating seem to get less damage where I am.

[Growster...]

Scaffold netting or debris netting definitely does work against carrot fly, and we've had no damage at all from them for two years.

I'm not sure how big a leek moth is, but if you can get a good denier scaffold net, then go for it!

I think Enviromesh is grossly overpriced anyway!

[GrowinGrowinGone]

I've got a 50m roll of scaffolding/debris netting so I was hoping this would do the job.  I'll give it a go

[al78]

Scaffold netting or debris netting definitely does work against carrot fly, and we've had no damage at all from them for two years.

I'm not sure how big a leek moth is, but if you can get a good denier scaffold net, then go for it!

I think Enviromesh is grossly overpriced anyway!

Veggemesh is cheaper and does the same job.

Although there is a moderate upfront cost, the mesh should last several years and if it results in increased yields then it is at least partly paying for itself.

[sarajane]

I discovered Leek moth for the first time ever this year and lost most of my plants  . Veggie mesh seems the best preventative measure.  Anything with larger holes and the blighters will fly through and wreck the crop.  I'm not prepared to lose my favourite veg again.

[Growster...]

I should add here, that we have loads of debris netting, which came from two building sites and cost nothing...

One lot is from the old Fairmeadow site in Maidstone, where the Contracts Manager (old chum and work colleague), when I asked him if he had any bits left over, opened the boot of my car and filled it to the brim, and that was over thirty years ago..;0)

[mumofstig]

WRT using debris netting, Allium leaf miner flies are 3mm long, leek moth 5-6mm.

Perhaps debris netting stops leek moth - but doesn't stop leaf miner flies? I suppose it depends on the size of the holes in your particular netting as there seems quite a bit of variation.

[Kristen]

Cabbage Whites, which are kept out by Debris Netting are, I think 7mm but can fold up their wings to squeeze through narrow gaps, so seems reasonable that Debris Netting might keep out 5-6mm Leek moth ...

Allium leaf miner looking like more of a challenge unless using Enviromesh or similar?

My dilemma is that I don't think it worth waiting until my first crop is ruined before erecting netting ... but I'm quite a long way out into the countryside and no agricultural onions anywhere near here ...

But if the pest arrive, and enjoy eating my crop they will set up home here and be harder to control in future years.  I have lots of Alliums in the ornamental garden, so don't want to encourage them full stop, so my plan is to net everything now.