Pest identification
What's eating my allium 'mount everest'?
Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma)
Signs: White stippled feeding marks, followed by maggots tunnelling into stems and bulbs, leading to yellowing and rot.
Control: Apply fine mesh netting over plants during spring and autumn adult flight periods. Dig up and dispose of infested bulbs.
Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci)
Signs: Pale silvery streaks on foliage; tips die back in severe cases.
Control: Insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; remove and bin heavily affected leaves; water at soil level rather than overhead.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Shredded or holed emerging foliage in damp spring weather.
Control: Iron phosphate slug pellets; hand-pick at dusk; use gritty mulch around bulb clusters.
Keep allium 'mount everest' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Allium 'Mount Everest' pests — FAQ
What is eating my allium 'mount everest'?
Like other ornamental alliums, 'Mount Everest' benefits from natural pest resistance but is still susceptible to allium leaf miner, which can be devastating in the UK and northern US. Onion thrips and slugs on emerging foliage are secondary concerns. Deer and rabbits reliably avoid all Allium.
How do I get rid of allium leaf miner (phytomyza gymnostoma) on allium 'mount everest'?
White stippled feeding marks, followed by maggots tunnelling into stems and bulbs, leading to yellowing and rot. Apply fine mesh netting over plants during spring and autumn adult flight periods. Dig up and dispose of infested bulbs.
How do I get rid of onion thrips (thrips tabaci) on allium 'mount everest'?
Pale silvery streaks on foliage; tips die back in severe cases. Insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; remove and bin heavily affected leaves; water at soil level rather than overhead.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on allium 'mount everest'?
Shredded or holed emerging foliage in damp spring weather. Iron phosphate slug pellets; hand-pick at dusk; use gritty mulch around bulb clusters.