Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Feel the soil moisture with your finger.
- Inspect the base of the stem for soft spots or tunneling.
- Check if the leaves look shriveled or just soft.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaves look limp and the soil feels dry to the touch several inches down.
What to do: Water your leeks deeply until the soil is moist 4 to 6 inches deep. Maintain a schedule of watering every 3 to 7 days depending on the heat.
Onion Fly Larvae
Most likelyHow to tell: The plant wilts suddenly and the base of the stem feels soft or hollowed out.
What to do: Remove and destroy any infested plants immediately to stop the spread. Use fine garden netting over your crop next season to prevent adult flies from laying eggs.
Find out what's wrong with your leek
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
If the whole plant collapses and the base is mushy, it is likely lost to larvae. Slight drooping in the heat of the afternoon is normal and usually recovers by evening.
Stopping it coming back
Keep the soil consistently moist and use physical barriers like row covers to block pests.
Keep your leek healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Will my leeks recover if they droop?
- If they are just thirsty, they will perk up within a few hours of a good soak. If they are infested with larvae, they will not recover.
- How much water do leeks need?
- They need about 1 inch of water per week. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
More problems with Leek
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.