Topic: Starting off leeks

[redimp]

What in people's opinion is the best early.  BTW I grow on alkaline limestone - quite well draining.

[keef]

I always plant them straight in the ground, then transplant them later.

If the roots are all tangled together dip them in some water for a few seconds - they're a lot easier to get apart then. I think this also helps them to root properly as the roots all stay together and dont spread up the sides of the hole as you plant them.

[Merry Tiller]

What in people's opinion is the best early

I'm on alkaline stony clay and "King Richard" grows very well for me

[STHLMgreen]

my leeks look pretty much like marjrie's in the picture, only they aren't all standing up so well in their ice cream container with holes in the bottom.

this is my first time wth leeks as well. they were planted on march 3 and 16.

later, how close together can i plant them in containers? my seeds are 'tropita' and it says the rows should be 50cm and the plants should be 15 cm apart. i know this question is really more on how to convert a seed packet measurement to a bed not row arrangement, any help appreciated.

[greenstar]

Hello, I'm new to all this.  Am I too late to plant leeks for this year?  I'm not bothered about earlies, but would like to be able to harvest some in the autumn.  And when should I be sowing the over wintering kind?

Thanks

[petemason]

No, you're not too late at all greenstar. I've got a packet of Autumn Mammoth and it says sow from March to April. Before I got my greenhouse I didn't sow anything at all untill the Easter weekend and I have never had any problems with the stuff I grow.
Don't be put off by people who have started theirs off weeks ago - there is still plenty of time.
I've lost plants in the past because I put them out too soon - never again.

[luath]

Mine are well up now, took about a fortnight or so in an unheated greenhouse; sowed into compost in pots, just on the staging.  I water the compost, sow and cover, then don;t water again until they show through well.  Two varieties this year, Bleu de Solaise, which turns purplish in the cold weather and a golden yellow/green variety whose name ecapes me; from Vida Verde, who say they look good grown together.  If I do, won't be able to save seed as they will probably cross and end up a really strange colour next year ;D

[jonny211]

Hiya luath,

I also got mine from Vida Verde.... Blue de Solaise and the 'others'. Keep us posted as to how yours are coming along, I've started my blue ones both in a seed tray then planted them out and straight into the ground. I'm hoping one way works!

Jon

[John-in-Fife]

Hi All,

I have used 7" pots for starting off my leeks, Musselburgh and Alabana, fill the pot to within an inch of the top, sprinkle 50 to 100 seeds, cover with 1/2 inch compost & water and put in a frost free greenhouse (straight outside last 2 years) they germinated after 2 weeks this year.

I'll grow them on and put them outside when i need the space in the greenhouse then when they are pencil thick transplant into their final positions. I just plant them like any other plant and they are quite happy just dib a deep hole 6" or so, drop in the leek, water the hole and cover the hole and earth up the stem an inch or two.

I find using a large pot means that they are easy to remove from the pot, lay it on the ground on its side where you’re going to plant them, tap the bottom and side and the pot should slide off no problem. The roots are nice and log and it’s quite easy to tease them apart and plant them.

The seeds keep OK too, the Mussel have come from the same packet for 3 years (just finished them this year, and the Alabana are 2nd sowing from the packet, they should last another 2 years of sowing. Mind you it depends how many plants you want and how much space you can give them.

Hope this helps, they are quite tough plants though we get a lot more rain up here so we don't have to water too much.

John

[supersprout]

This is really clear, and the pot idea sounds perfect. What time of year did you sow John? Oh, and welcome to A4a! :)

[Gadfium]

I tried Bleu de solaise & Jaune de poiteau last year -  both lasted the entire winter, and I'm still digging them out as required. Good colour contrast, just like VidaVerde said... grey-blue and mid-light green. Taste? Can't compare them with anything except supermarket leeks (first year's harvest), but they knocked them into a cocked hoop. Lovely and juicy, leaves had a good flavour too. Succulent.

Am giving the Genevilliers leek a go this year. Have sowed three pots at 2-3 week intervals. ... I've now got tiddlers in Pot 1, paper-clips emerging in Pot 2, and slumberers in Pot 3. Anyone tried this variety?

[Melbourne12]

We bought Oarsman F1, which looked a good all-rounder.  I'd not sown leeks before, and was a bit disappointed with the germination, which was only about 40%.

Then, over Easter, in a Normandy street market, I bought on impulse 100 anonymous poireaux plants and we bunged them into one of our raised beds.   [Fingers crossed mode on] Job's a good'un. [/Fingers crossed] :)

[John-in-Fife]

Supersprout,

I normally start things off in the last week of March so this year it was 25th and 26th, Toms and chillies on the window ledge with propagator everything else in the Greenhouse, I use a fan heater set to about 5 deg C and this stops the frost.