How do you get rid of leek pests?

Answer 1

Proper controls and cultivation are ways to eliminate leek pests.

Specifically, leeks are more capable of resisting diseases, pests and weeds when attention is paid to growing conditions. Leeks benefit from cultivation in well-drained soils, especially loamy sands or sandy loams. They depend upon adequate air circulation and water access through proper spacing of 3-4 inches (7.62-10.16 centimeters) between each plant.

Leeks easily detect the presence of too much nitrogen in fertilizer applications -- which need to emphasize potassium -- and respond by susceptibility to rust. They have to be rotated since there can be bacterial and fungal build-ups in soil used repeatedly in the same location for leek-growing. They must be separated from garlics, onions, and shallots, whose diseases -- downy mildew and purple blotch -- and pests -- European corn borers, fall armyworms, onion maggots and thrips -- enthusiastically attack leeks.

Leek plants appreciate the absence of weeds and disposal of litter. They are sensitive to spatial competition from other plants and transmission of diseases and pests (especially leek moths) through fallen -- and unretrieved -- plant litter. They do not generally benefit from the use of non-organic or organic pesticides even though they do respond to fungicides, which nevertheless tend to be expensive in their application.