Garlic scape removal

If you haven’t signed up for it before, OMAFRA has a fantastic vegetable blog.  A couple of years ago, Travis Cranmer, OMAFRA’s Allium Specialist, wrote a great piece about the benefits of removing garlic scapes.

Figure 1. Yield and bulb weight in response to scape removal timing of
garlic cv. ‘Music’. (Zandstra, 2006)

John Zandstra did some research on scape removal and the influences it has on yield.  Scapes should be removed sooner rather than later to preserve yield and bulb size (Figure 1). The longer you leave the scapes growing in the field, the more energy the plant will divert to creating a flower and bulbils - to the detriment of bulb size and yield.

Figure 2. Influence of leaf removal on yields and bulb weights of
garlic cv ‘Music’. (Zandstra, 2000)

Best practices also suggest that the scapes should be removed by hand (Figure 2).  Using a sickle bar mower, or other mechanical means to remove the scape often damages leaves.  Damage to the leaves reduces the photosynthetic potential of the plant, resulting in less energy to be poured into bulb development.  In short, even a small percentage of leaf damage will reduce bulb weight and total yield so be careful when removing scapes!

Scape removal is also a good time to be on the lookout for leek moth damage in your crop. Leek moth is a new pest to Nova Scotia and has been found in Kings and Annapolis Counties.  Cornell has an excellent site devoted to providing further leek moth information.  If you grow garlic, leeks, or onions, I strongly suggest you make yourself familiar with this pest.

Leek moth damage on garlic, photo credit Amy Ivy, Cornell

Leek moth damage on garlic leaves, photo Amy Ivy, Cornell

Leek moth damage on garlic scapes, photo Scott Lewins, UVM

Pest Update - Leek Moth

Perennia in association with NSDA and AAFC has been monitoring for leek moth across Nova Scotia since early May this year. Leek moth is an invasive insect pest from Europe that feeds on Allium species (onions, garlic, leeks,etc), and can cause significant damage to these crops. Previous to 2018, leek moth had been identified in Kings County in 2017. In 2016 gardeners reported damage on garlic which could have been due to leek moth but no specimens were ever recovered to verify these observations. In response to this a provincial leek moth monitoring project was established, to determine how widespread the pest is in Nova Scotia. As of this week we have confirmed leek moth in both Kings and Annapolis County. Currently we have not found the pest in large scale commercial fields, and all the leek moth samples we have identified have been from garlic. Leek moth favours garlic and leeks primarily; we are currently unsure of its effects in onion production.

Leek moth can be monitored using commercially available pheromone traps, which attract adult males. The adult leek moth is a small (5-7 mm in length) brown moth with a distinctive white triangle in middle of its wings when they are folded at rest. Additionally allium crops can be scouted for feeding damage from leek moth larvae. On alliums with flat leaves (garlics, leeks) the larvae feeds on the tops and inside of the leaves, as well as bores into the center of the plant leaving noticeable frass. In alliums with hollow leaves (onions, chives) the larvae will feed internally producing translucent areas on the leaf known as "windowing". The larvae will also occasionally bore into bulbs.

There are several chemical controls registered for leek moth in garlic, leeks, and onions that can be found in the Perennia's Garlic Management Schedule, Leek Management Schedule, and Onion Management Schedule. These pesticides are most effective when eggs are present and leek moth larvae are small, so monitoring is crucial to ensure proper timing of applications. Row cover is also an effective means of protecting allium crops against leek moth, without using chemical controls.

For additional information on leek moth identification and management please consult AAFC's An Integrated Approach to Management of Leek Moth . If you think you have leek moth please contact Matt Peill, horticultural specialist with Perennia (email: mpeill@perennia.ca, cellphone: 902-300-4710).

Cool and wet spring challenges vegetable transplant growers

Damping-off is a disease of germinating seeds and seedlings caused primarily by Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia and Alternaria fungi. It can spread within the days and an entire planting can be destroyed. Prevention is most important and includes the use of sterile potting mix, clean sterile pots, proper watering, ventilation, ensuring an optimal heat and light environment so seedlings germinate and grow quickly.

For fungicides registered for the control of damping off, please consult pest management information for vegetables at: http://www.perennia.ca/vegetables.php

Leek transplants affected by damping off