The joy of leek germination

[Ceri]

I've been away for the weekend, and the leek seeds I sowed in my propogator on Friday night have germination - how quick is that?  Its the first time I've had a propogator and I'm so pleased with my new toy.  Husband is not impressed though - he really doesn't think the propogator should live on top of the piano in the sitting room.  He also thinks that the design bench in the office shouldn't actually be used to grow on basil.  Strange man.  What else is a nice long bench in front of a window is for?  He doesn't know the tomato plans yet!!

[Ceri]

[aquilegia]

Very strange husband you have! :-/

I wonder what mine'll think when I've got the entire worksurface in the kitchen covered with pots of germinating seeds and seedlings. Well it's not my fault I don't have a greenhouse and the kitchen is the sunniest room in the flat.

He was most amused by the potatoes chitting on the spare room window ledge. I think he thought he'd misheard me first of all...  ;)

[Mrs Ava]

Wow ceri, mine took about 10 days to poke through, and so far only half are through.  Mind, they are in my unheated greenhouse.  Some men, very odd.  ;)

[jethro]

There's not a window cill in the house which hasn't got a sed tray on it  ;D the wife now accepts that she married a 'nutter'  ;D

[Ceri]

OK, so the fab new leeks are in the fab new propogator - my son and I investigate morning and evening as a mother and son bonding ritual (and yes they even smell like leeks already!) - they are about 1/2 inch high - I've never grown leeks before and my allotment is next to the official leek show champion for my area so I must have decent leeks (for eating mind, not showing) or I'll get laughed off the lottie(!), I have some questions
1.how long do I leave them in the propogator in their seed tray?
2.  do I need to start lowering the heat, if so when
3.  when do I pot them on
4. do the potted on leeks get put back in the propogator at the same heat, or just on the windowsill (no greenhouse)
Bear in mind my seed tray was Wales, my seed bed was Birmingham and I've been transplanted to the north east so I have lots of regions' honour to uphold in the leek capital of the world up here!

[legless]

cor ceri, you're getting a bit serious aren't you? is it champion leeks you're after? you'll be camping down the allotment surrounded by teh electric fence for sale in the free-ads before you know it!  ;D

[tim]

Ceri - since no-one has responded, I'll suggest that they should be out in good light as soon as they are nicely through. They'll only get drawn up with too much heat.

What are they in now? If modules, no need to pot-on. And how warm will their new abode be?

I'm sure someone will come in with some championship advice. Me, I'll stick to tender young leeks & onions. = Tim

[Ceri]

Thanks Tim - they are in seed trays at the moment, in a heated propogator on top of my piano (although that last bit of information may not be too pertinent).  And no, I'm not going for championship show leeks here - but really good healthy speciments to be proud of from an eating point of view!!  I am just aware that leeks, whether for showing or eating, are under more scrutiny and subject to affectionate mickey taking by the boys on my site more than anything else, and a little bit of me wants to keep up the Geordies!!!

[Ceri]

these leeks then - a week old and the biggest is over 1 inch long - I've never grown leeks before and didn't know that the first 1/2 inch growth was 1 stalk, folded in half - today they all unfolded themselves - between looking this morning and looking just now!  I turned off the heat in the propogator this morning, and took the lid off (they are however in a warm living room).  I've never used a heated propogator before and I am so impressed!  If anyone can help me and let me know when they get potted on please let me know!  Tomorrow I'm thinking of taking them out of the propogator onto a warm windowsill (covered at night) to make room for more seeds.  If this is horribly wrong can someone please let me know!

[tim]

And your piano is in full daylight??

I'm NOT the expert here but - if they are in trays, they should be at least 1" apart in a 2" deep tray.  If not, prick them out into something better. FULL light, but don't fuss about warmth. They need to grow 'hard' from now on. Well, that's my thoughts - I'm sure someone will put another twist on them? = Tim

[Hugh_Jones]

Don`t think anyone is likely to better that Tim. As soon as they are out of the `loop` stage they should be grown hard and in full daylight.  I use the plastic tray inserts with 40 separate cells per tray which allows each plant to come out as a `plug` at planting time. I sow directly into the cells - 2 seeds per cell - on the basis that thinning out is easier than pr*cking out, and they`ll go out into the cold frames in a fortnight`s time.

[tim]

Yes, indeed!

And, with spring onions, I sow several to a module, so that you can pull a 'bunch' on harvesting. = Tim

[Ceri]

thank you both, I shall start pricking out today.

Tim, the piano is in daylight, not direct sunlight - my poor piano-teacher mother would turn in her grave, er, that is if she wasn't hale and hearty.

Ceri