My Elephant Garlic Leaves Have Yellow Spots

Elephant Garlic

• Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) and garlic (Allium sativum) have similar fruiting styles: they both yield underground cloves. They also present in similar fashion; their leaves and flowers bear a resemblance to one another. Elephant garlic plants and fruit are bigger than garlic plants and fruit. Their large cloves have a milder flavor than traditional garlic. Elephant garlic is closely related to the leek family and is not related to garlic at all. But, the same pests and substandard growing conditions that are the cause of yellow leaves on garlic and other vegetables are also responsible for yellow elephant garlic leaves.

Disease

• Leaf blight is a disease that infects a variety of garden vegetables to include both elephant garlic and other garlic species. Botrytis is the fungus responsible for leaf blight. It overwinters as spores and attacks new leaves as they begin to grow. At first, the growth appears as dark green spots but then gradually changes a leaf's color to yellow, or straw. Prevent the spread of the disease by monitoring your crop for contagion and applying a fungicide in accordance with the manufacturer's directions. Be aware that dosage amounts and the timing of the dose are important factors in effectively ridding your elephant garlic plant of the blight. Before applying fungicide, take a sample to your local university extension office for testing. Fungal infection may not be the cause. Instead, you may have to examine your cultivation practices.

Cultivation

• Keep fungus from your elephant garlic by maintaining a healthy distance between plants to allow for proper air circulation. Space elephant garlic at 12-inch intervals and keep the rows clear of debris. Since botrytis spores overwinter in soil, avoid giving them a safe haven full of clippings, weeds or mulch. If your previous crop was infested, leave the area fallow for a season or plant a disease resistant crop in its place.

Considerations

• Other pests, like onion thrips and onion maggots, can also damage leaves and cloves. Prevent these pests from gaining access to your elephant garlic by keeping rows clear of debris and rotating your crop annually. Pests are also killed by dosages of horticultural soap, oils and other pesticides. Use pesticides with caution, as you don't want to consume the pesticide with your crop.