Topic: Leeks

[Robert_Brenchley]

They'll be OK; I think pouring the water in probably washes soil down over the roots, and they're frost-hardy anyway.

[growmore]

Hi glow, The holes fill in very quickly ...As Robert says Quite a bit of soil is washed down when You fill hole with water.You will usually get about a 7 or 8 inch blanch on your leek  . As its usually May-June when they go out frost has never been a prob  .. I also sow some seeds later  and set plants out about late July-early August...Jim

[Derekthefox]

Talking of dibbing leek holes, I must make myself a long handled dibber this year, for that one task. I have been using an old fork handle (fork handles? - giggles of the Two Ronnies sketch - sorry!) and after dibbing three hundred holes my back gets rather grumbly, particularly since these holes are created about June, when the ground is more compacted and dry. So my solution is to get a broom handle and attach a cross piece which will take my foot pressure. Position the pole correctly and press into the soil, using foot pressure to assist - no bending involved. Slight weaving of the pole should make it withdraw easily ...

[flowerlady]

Do you trim roots and shoots before planting?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Good idea. So that just leaves the problem of getting it to grow in its tray to the point where I can drop it into a deep hole and still have a bit sticking out of the top.

[Derekthefox]

hmmm, perhaps a length of 1 1/4" plastic waste pipe ... drop the leek in at the top ... and a cane to push it down into the hole if needed ...

Thinking straight off the top of my head here, mind you ...

But you will still need to organise the growing ...  :D

[terrace max]

I sow my leeks in early March into 3" pots in the greenhouse. Never get as thick as a pencil, but harden em off anyway and plant em out. No dibbing or owt.

My problem is forgetting a succession and I have a load of big leeks now and not much in February/March.

Must try harder next year... :-\

[growmore]

 RB .Thats why i use a John innes 50/50 1 and 2 mix there seems to be more food in it for seedlings ..Alternatively  give seedlings a  weak feed with phostrogen or miracle grow..When they  are growing ..

TM . Do you earth em up to get blanch or collar em ? Jim...

[redimp]

I dibbed a hole about 6" deep and that is about as far down as my soil goes. Bit lazy in that I have too much digging still to do (don't start Wardy) to bother with earthing up yet so I went round and popped toilet roll tubes on them all and I have  a lovely long white bit.  As I now have my own camera, I shall photo the next lot I pull so that I can show you.

[Derekthefox]

I have never trimmed roots or shoots, I consider that this just weakens the seedling. I always intend to hoe up, but somehow I never get round to it ...

[colleenemp]

RIGHT! Thats it! I'm doing leeks this year...Thanks everyone!  :-*

[plot51A]

I did the same as Redclanger - dibbed and rolled. Then found that most of the toilet roll tubes unrolled after it had rained and the bed was covered in disintegrating strips of cardboard - all good for the compost bin/soil I suppose but not really the result I wanted!. Where the tubes survived have now got lovely long white stems.

[Derekthefox]

That has got me thinking ... yes I do think occasionally !!! Would offcuts of old drainpipe work instead of toilet rolls. Just thinking of recycling again ... Another trial to set up ...

[Mrs Ava]

I asked about the drainpipe idea earlier in the year but was told it would be a haven for sluggies and mould, so didn't bother.  Instead, when I weeded between them, I earthed them up, and I had a sack of old leaf mould, so I used that between the rows to earthe them up even more.  I havebene digging leeks with anywhere from 12 to 16 inches of blanched stem!

I sow mine in February in trays, then forget about them until Apri/May, then plant.  I can't be doing with dibbing, to trowel out a planting hole, drop in seedling, water and forget!  I don't trim roots, didn't know it was ever advised, I do remember someone saying you shouldn't becuase the young plant will then loose that root and grow a new one from the base plate, thus slowing down the growth.

I love leeks, apart from the great taste (which I have acquired since having an allotment) but also because I am unable to grow maincrop onions due to the white rot, so leeks fill my allium gap nicely providing me with stems from September through to March/April!  ;D

[terrace max]

TM . Do you earth em up to get blanch or collar em ?

Never bothered, Jim. I can use the green bits just as well as the white bits...

[John_H]

I use bits of drain pipe as collars on my leeks. I put them over just before the leaves get too big to fit through the hole. It works quite well and you can gradually fill the 6 inch high drain pipe with soil or a mix of soil and sand if you have slug problems.

If you have sawn a long plastic pipe into bits then it is worth smoothing the rough edges off before using the individual sections, otherwise a bit of wind rock can do quite a bit of damage to the leaves as they rub up against the edges of the plastic tube.

[Derekthefox]

I am glad I raised that point then John - thanks. What size of pipe have you used, and was that deliberate, or what was available ...

[John_H]

It was the proceeds of a successful skip raid, following the end of a construction contract for new homes, I managed to get about 20 foot of the stuff.

I think its just standard size, a little bit wider than the rim of a coffee mug, I was surprised at how easy it was to saw up and it all fits into one bin liner for transporting to the lottie.

[Derekthefox]

I have plenty of skip access at work, and there seem to be several around at the moment too. I will be keeping my eyes peeled ...

[colleenemp]

I've heard of the drain pipe thing before too, guys who do the show thing use them I believe...I'll eat em whatever colour though!  ;D