[strangerachael]

I had a close look at my garlic yesterday and noticed most of the growing tips have gone yellow and dry and seem to be covered in/stuck together with greenish-yellow grainy powdery stuff. I have never seen this before. If I cut out the affected parts will it stop the bulbs developing? I had a little furtle and the bulbs are swelling but obviously will need another month or so in the ground. Any suggestions?

[BabbyAnn]

maybe a photo could help as I can't imagine what you mean.  It wouldn't be downy mildew would it?

[strangerachael]

Well I've just been down for another look - sorry I didn't take a photo - but on closer inspection I discovered quite a few maggoty little grubs down inside/wrapped up in the leaves, so I think the grainy stuff must be their droppings. I have picked out as many maggots as I could find (they burrow quite deeply down inside the 'inner tube'), and then sprayed down the middle of the growing tip with soapy water - I guess I will have to keep checking and repeating as necessary.

One of my neighbours was there and he checked his garlic and found the same thing had happened to his. There is some on the onions as well, to a lesser extent.

Maybe it's one of these alium leaf miner/leek moth type pests? Although it doesn't look like what happens to my leeks every year, those grubs are brown whereas these are grey/white and a bit bigger.

[Mum2mj]

Could they be earwig larvae? I had lots of earwigs in my garlic leaves last year - ewww 

[Flowertot]

Sounds like onion fly to me  . I have lost the last 3 year's onions, shallots and garlic to them and this year have had to resort to enviromesh in a last ditch attempt to avoid them

[strangerachael]

Sounds like onion fly to me  .

Oh dear, I think you're right. Just googled some pictures and it looks like what I've got. So I've probably lost the lot   
I've got a load of leeks all ready to go in now too, I'll have to cover them with mesh.

[Flowertot]

Sorry to hear that. It's heartbreaking to lose them  If you look carefully at each one you may find some which are ok  to eat now as "wet garlic" but I wouldn't leave them in the ground.