Garlic Chives

Symptoms: mushy water-soaked decay of fleshy tissue; slimy soft rot of heads, bulbs, roots, or fruit; foul odor from rotting tissue; rapid collapse after wounding or in warm wet conditions; rot spreading in storage

• CulturalRemove rotting plants and produce (manage, not cure)●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Soft rot can't be cured once tissue breaks down; promptly remove and discard affected plants and produce so the bacteria don't spread to neighbors or other stored vegetables.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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• CulturalAvoid wounds and excess moisture●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Harvest in dry conditions, handle gently to avoid bruising, control insects that create entry wounds, and improve drainage; cure and store bulbs and roots cool and dry.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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• CulturalDon't overwater and rotate●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Avoid waterlogged soil and overhead watering that splashes bacteria, and rotate away from previously affected fleshy crops to lower disease pressure.

  Source: Cornell NYS IPM

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Symptoms: yellowing and dieback of leaves; plants pull up easily; fluffy white mold at the base and on bulbs; tiny black poppy-seed sclerotia in the rot; spreads in patches in cool moist soil

• CulturalRemove infected plants and soil carefully●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Dig and discard affected plants along with the surrounding soil to avoid spreading the long-lived sclerotia; clean soil off tools and boots, since this fungus can persist in soil for many years.

  Source: UC IPM: White Rot of Onion and Garlic; UMass Extension: Allium Diseases

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• CulturalAvoid moving infested soil and replanting●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Don't replant alliums in known-infested ground; while rotation alone won't clear it, avoiding the area and not spreading contaminated soil is the most reliable home approach.

  Source: UC IPM: White Rot of Onion and Garlic

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Symptoms: small wedge-shaped insects hop from leaves; stippled or yellowed foliage; with aster yellows: yellow stunted growth, witches-broom of thin shoots, deformed bitter carrots

• CulturalRemove infected plants and weed reservoirs●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Aster yellows can't be cured, so pull and discard plants showing yellowing and witches-broom, and clear nearby weedy hosts that harbor the phytoplasma and its leafhoppers.

  Source: UMN Extension: Aster yellows; UC IPM: Aster Yellows

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• CulturalExclude leafhoppers with row cover●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  On young susceptible crops, a floating row cover keeps egg-laying leafhoppers off and lowers the chance of aster-yellows spread.

  Source: UMN Extension: Aster yellows

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Symptoms: whitish windowpane streaks or mottling on leaves (thrips); pale winding mines and holes in leaves; caterpillars tunneling in leaves and stems; distorted rotting foliage from secondary infection

• CulturalCover and clean up●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Cover plants with insect netting or row cover at planting to keep egg-laying leek moths and thrips off, and remove and destroy badly infested leaves and crop debris. Rotate alliums to a new spot each year to break the pest cycle.

  Source: RHS: Leek moth; RHS: Thrips on Garden Plants

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• OrganicWash off thrips or spray· every 1 wk●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  For thrips, hose plants down to dislodge them, or apply a labeled insecticidal soap or neem product per the label. For leek moth caterpillars, a labeled spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis product applied per the label when young larvae are active can help.

  Always follow the product label — it is the law.

  Source: RHS: Leek moth; RHS: Thrips on Garden Plants

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Symptoms: bright orange raised pustules on leaves; yellowing around the spots; heavily infected leaves drying and dying back; reduced size of usable shank

• CulturalImprove airflow and remove infected leaves●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Leek rust is a fungal disease favored by damp, crowded conditions and lush growth; space plants well, avoid over-feeding with nitrogen, and remove badly affected leaves. Mild cases usually still produce a usable crop, and rotating alliums each year helps prevent buildup.

  Source: RHS: Leek rust; UMN Extension: Growing leeks

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Symptoms: silvery streaks and flecks on leaves; tiny slivers that scatter when disturbed; worst in hot dry weather

• CulturalOverhead-water and remove debris· every 3 days · ~3 wks●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  Thrips dislike moisture; overhead irrigation and weed/debris cleanup reduce them. Reflective mulch deters them on young plants.

  Source: UMN Extension

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• OrganicInsecticidal soap/spinosad - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wks●●Moderatemoderate evidence — extension confidence

  For heavy pressure a labeled soap or spinosad on a weekly schedule helps. Follow the label.

  Always follow the product label — it is the law.

  Source: UMN Extension

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Unusual this time of year.

Symptoms: young brassica or onion transplants wilt and stunt; bluish off-color leaves; white legless maggots in roots; rotting tunneled roots; plants pull up easily

• CulturalCover at planting with floating row cover●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Place floating row cover over the crop at seeding or transplanting and bury the edges so flies cannot lay eggs at the stem base; do not use if the same crop grew there last year, since trapped pupae would hatch underneath.

  Source: UMN Extension: Cabbage and onion maggots; UMass Extension: Cabbage Root Maggot

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• CulturalRotate and delay planting●●●Strongstrong evidence — extension confidence

  Rotate susceptible crops to a new spot each year and, where possible, delay planting to late spring to miss the main egg-laying window.

  Source: UMN Extension: Cabbage and onion maggots

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