Topic: have I killed my leeks?

[fat larry]

I planted them out, in big holes infilled with water, more than a week ago, and so far only one is peeping up out of the soil. will the others fight their way to the surface or have i killed em? they were thin like grass, rather than like pencils.

[sandersj89]

Was the hole deeper than the leek? I tend to plant out when about half the size of a pencil into a hole deep enough so that the tips of the leaf are proud of the surface.

I have never buried them completly.

Having said that, if they are only just burried they may be OK, can you scrape back the soil a little to help them?

Jerry

[Curryandchips]

If the holes remained after watering, I have found they generally reach for the light, but as Jerry has commented, I try and plant mine so that they are just proud of the surface ... and never infill with soil.

[fat larry]

Oh dear. I didn't infill, but didn\t realise you had to leave the tips showing, I just threw the leeks in the hole and watered till it filled. Back to the seed tray then! by the time I grow some new bits I will know if the old ones have made it. thanks for advice

[Roy Bham UK]

:( Dissappointment here too :( after sowing two trays of leek and getting nothing germinating >:( I am capable of growing the blighters as I'm still picking them from last year ;D

[Curryandchips]

Bad luck Roy, my first packet also failed to germinate, the second packet are just peeking above the seed compost ...

[sandersj89]

Not even sown mine yet, job for this week or the next I hope.

Jerry

[artichoke]

A few weeks ago on the allotment I sowed a very short row of expensive seed and finished off the long row with seed saved from last year's flowers, without even bothering to get the seeds out of the flowerheads (just scissoered them off into a container). Guess which row is bounding out of the soil? Same soil conditions, same weather. I'm beginning to lose faith in bought leek seeds, especially as people here also report failure even in seed trays.

[Tee Gee]

my first packet also failed to germinate, the second packet are just peeking above the seed compost ...

Strange that??? I have had the same problem this year, which is something that has never happened before????

[saddad]

Ours came up fine and we still havenot eaten all last years, will have to take the stem core out and use in soup, not sure they weren't old seed though. Got some "Wilton" from HDRA seed Library and they were fine, just given away the sprares today... ask around on the Lottie somebody always has half a tray too many, we pricked out 200 and still gave away some to three newbies!
 ;D

[Roy Bham UK]

I'm now wondering if my failure may be that the cheap compost I bought may have dried out, (last year’s stock maybe?) I stupidly used it and watered from the top, even though I soaked it (as I thought) the lower parts were still dry. ::) :P the compost reacted like water off a ducks back. ???

I am now putting the compost in a bowl adding lots of water and kneading it to a doughy substance ;D 8)

[Rosyred]

Just sown my leeks this afternoon been meaning to do them for ages i'll let you know if any grow.

[fat larry]

at least three are peeping through now ... I live in hope

[grassroots]

I put down two lots of leeks and thay have come on well so good that i will plant them out next week. I put the seeds in B&Q compost and you dont get much cheaper than that. As for planting out go allong with Jerry there said.

[kitty]

this year my leeks were REALLY slow to germinate.but they came eventually-still too thin to plant out..


12 years for leekicide larry!......

[TEL]

I put a full row across my plot 3 weeks back & every seed has popped up there must be about 700 witch is good news as other peeps have failed so they can have the rest

[saddad]

I didn't think it was possible to kill leeks..... anything that can survive a winter in Wales must be almost indestructable! :-X