[Anton]

Fellow gardeners,
last year I planted some leeks quite early and they were doing fine and then I  planted some more later on (in August i think). Well the earlier ones were attacked by moths and were very badly affected (some even keeled over).  Very few of them were really edible, even after the winter frost, etc. That latter ones survived much better (obviously smaller than the earlier ones). I have just bought 50 leeks and would like to know the months when the moths start laying. I intended to cover the plants with fleece but does the fleece have to stay over them for ever and ever?

Another question. Years and years ago I used to pop my leeks into a bucket with a concoction of water and tobacco juice for a couple of days, which was supposed to offer them some protection. I cannot for the life of me find out where I got that idea from. Has anybody else heard of this technique? I can't say whether it was effective all those years ago as it is only over the last five or so years that the moth plague has got  steadily worse (last year was terrible).

Anton

[juvenal]

Decades back I knew an old pro gardener. He saved all the butts from his roll-ups and sprayed a dilute solution on his roses to kill aphids etc. Swore by it...

[LotuSeed]

Here's a link that describes tobacco use as an insecticide
https://books.google.com/books?id=ksAUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&dq=burning+tobacco+as+insecticide&source=bl&ots=g_V07W8P9x&sig=wU3dsvODG_Cqt6a324oO5OOe-U4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDwQ6AEwCWoVChMI5-TS3bnrxgIVj6WICh0udw_L#v=onepage&q=burning%20tobacco%20as%20insecticide&f=false

I also seem to recall an episode of the Victorian Kitchen Garden where Harry Dodson used it as a fumigant in the greenhouse. I don't remember which episode it was, and I can't find my DVD 😖 but I do remember him emphasizing the need to vacate the GH once it began to smoke, so as not to inhale the toxic fumes.

[New shoot]

That link is not working for me, but I would be extremely cautious about using tobacco as an insecticide.  I remember that episode of Victorian Kitchen Garden as well LotuSeed    Tobacco was widely used in the past and is very effective, but also dangerous to use.

Apart from the fact that it would be an unlicenced product and therefore should not be used, I just would not want to eat vegetables that had been treated with tobacco.

Anton, we have a product over here called Enviromesh that is very good at keeping insects off crops.  It is not cheap, but far more durable than fleece and can be attached to frames to make growing cages.  I know quite a few people on here cover their leek crops because of leek moth.  It might be worth looking into 

[snowdrops]

I for one wouldn't want to use tobacco for anything,let alone what I'm proposing to eat. Years ago they used to use lots of chemical as 'natural' as they may be, but like New Shoot says I'd go with the modern equivalent of enviromesh or similar, the bonus is you can use it again & again. I've got some that I'm still using 20 years or so later.

[New shoot]

I remember Harry Dodson in that programme referring to a victorian sprayer as a 'widow maker'.  He had a wry smile on his face and followed that with a comment about it being an apt name, as all sorts of compounds were used that wouldn't be allowed these days.

Victorian Kitchen Garden was made a fair few years ago now.  These days 'elf & safety would have a melt down at the thought of people soaking fag butts to make concoctions 

[Salmo]

Keep your leeks covered by fine mesh. Take it off at the end of September.

[JayG]

Protection possibly needs to be provided for a bit longer than that, especially if Allium Leaf Miner is also a potential problem (as it is here now  ) - there are no doubt variations from year to year and in different geographical areas, but this is the RHS's description of the breeding cycles of the two pests:

Leek Moth: First generation in May-June, second generation August-October.

Allium Leaf Miner: First generation March-June, second generation September-November.

Full descriptions:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=652
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=643

[Anton]

Thanks for all your answers.

I used to use spray plants with tobacco as well in the past. As I used to smoke a packet of tobacco a day I am sure I was doing myself more harm smoking the stuff than spraying the vegetables. But I actually stopped spraying because I realised I might inadvertently be harming bees and ladybirds (I stopped smoking because my young daughter developed a cough).

Anton

[LotuSeed]

Oh goodness. I was by no means advocating go the use of it lol! I somehow assumed it was purely for information regarding the history of its use as an insecticide. The link was to a book that I believe was written a fair number of years...decades...scores ago.  As others have said, environmesh is a much more environmentally friendly, and effective, alternative.

[Anton]

I didn't think you were urging me to use the tobacco concotion, Lotuseed, I was just adding a bit of background information. I was actually wondering where I got the idea of soaking leeks in tobacco "tea". I must have read it in one of my organic gardening books but looking through them recently (they are all a bit old) I can't see any reference to it.

Mystery!

Anton