Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Tuesday 27th June - Puccinia Porri

I was delighted to see the garlic leaves yellowing in readiness to crop but on closer inspection realised it is something much nastier. Puccinia Porri, it sounds like an expensive mushroom but is in fact a fungi covering our garlic and I have no idea if the crop is doomed or not. Garlic world say

Infected plants should be treated immediately either by removal & burning or
by spraying with an appropriate fungicide


To dig 'em up or not to dig... that is the question.

6 comments:

Greenmantle said...

Garlic is especially prone to rust. I've given up on it as it's quite prevalent on our site. There's no cure for it, but if it's not too far gone, you can still get a good crop from the edible parts. If the garlic is of a usable size, I'd cut my losses and get them out. Remove & burn the infected leaves, and dry the bulbs in a warm airy place to prevent it affecting the cloves.
If the fungal strain is the more common "Puccinia Allii" it is normally found in leeks and onions so it could possibly spread depending on the proximity.

The very excellent RHS handbook "Garden Pests & Diseases" by Audrey Brooks and Andrew Halstead (ISBN 1-84000-155-0) recommends applying 1/2 Oz of sulphate of potash per yard before planting. This also sounds organic to me, although I don't personally bother too much about that mullarkey.

Frankie said...

Oh God, they are next door to the baby leeks. Can this sulphate of potash be added retrospectively?

PS love your carrots!!

Anonymous said...

Hi
Our garlic usually gets it, but it doesn't tend to spread if the related plants aren't too stressed, like no water! I agree with Greenmantle, remove them and dry them out somewhere dry and airy. But don't worry, this is quite common, all are suffering on our allotment, and even the most experienced allotmenteers aren't panicking.
Joy Bird

Frankie said...

Thanks both, I had a good look last night and the bulbs look pretty fat. I will dig them up on the weekend and burn the leaves.

Anonymous said...

Mel and I ate one last night Frankie. Thinly sliced and sauted with some dwarf beans, yellow pepper and tomatoes with lamb chops and new potatoes. Really tasty I must say.

Frankie said...

Traitor! You've been buying veg from Sainsburys as we haven't grown any dwarf beans, yellow pepper, tomatoes or new potatoes.

We've been having stunted radish with slug ravished lettuce and corrander stalks.