Topic: How's everybody's leeks doing?

[mc55]

so far so good !

[OliveOil]

the ones i dibbed in are going great. I chucked the rest on the floor as i couldnt be bothered dibbing anymore... found they were still alive at the weekend so planted them in rather than dibbed so we shall see how they go!

[keef]

Mine are doing really well, but so are the weeds around them  >:( i seem to be weeding around my leeks every time i go up the allotment.

[OliveOil]

i couldnt see my leeks last weekend keef...hadnt bothered to weed them since i put them in... but they are almost weed free now!  Only prob is the row in front is now garlic and the row behind is onions... am scared of treading on them as i easily forget whats where when im weeding LOL.

[kippers garden]

mine are suffering from rust....any tips?

[Mrs Ava]

heck, rust already!  Mind don't normally succumb until Spring.  I don't think there is anything medicinal you can do to help.  It will only be on the outer layers, so the leeks are still edible, but it can slow growth.  When I see it I know I have to start digging them up and using them so I don't want to see it yet.

[Kea]

Those leeks look great. I planted a few quite awhile ago and some of them are very big. However they all have rust but it hasn't affected the taste as we ate one a couple of weeks ago and the taste was so superior to the supermarket leek. I wish I'd put in more now.
Where do you get all the straw for mulching?

[umshamrock]

mine just sorta rotted away...not sure why...could be white rot as it got my onions and garlic this year...although last year my leeks did fine...

[Mrs Ava]

I believe leeks aren't as affected by white rot as other hunions.  They won't enjoy sitting in really wet cold ground, but then we haven't had that yet have we.

Old Jack on our site gets bales of straw for us as we want them - he gets them from a local stables as a reasonable rate, a couple of quid for a big rectangular loaf!

[Chris Graham]

I planted mine at the end of July due to planting them too early in April.

They are growing steady but seem to be taking ages !

 ???

[Diana]

Yeah, good year here too

What's growing next to your beetroot SS?

Oh, and how deep is the mulch? (is it really that weed-free or just for the photo :P?)

[CotswoldLass]

Leeks on the menu in our house tonight........yum!

[supersprout]

Nice to get back from hols and find out how everyone's leeks are doing :D - sorry to hear of rust already :-\
Thank you for the kind (and curious) comments about straw mulch, let me know if I've forgotten any answers :P

Straw mulch - £1.50 per loaf from the farm shop
It's about 8" deep, put on in layers as they grew. One of the beds has leafmould under the straw.
Alll grown from seed in a 7-inch pot, half were transplanted in furrows for speed, half dibbed in. Can't see the difference now ::)
I don't usually earth up, so the mulching is a bonus - don't know if it will make a difference
Photo is unretouched ( :o@diana) the leeks are weed free with the mulch except for the odd bit of bindweed which gets nipped off now and then
Next to beetroot - flowering shungiku greens (they tasted horrible so I let them flower), cucumbers, parsnip and celeriac
:)

[Trixiebelle]

Mine have gone rusty  >:( I KNEW I should have slathered 'em in WD40 last week!

[keef]

Nice to get back from hols and find out how everyone's leeks are doing :D - sorry to hear of rust already :-\
Thank you for the kind (and curious) comments about straw mulch, let me know if I've forgotten any answers :P

Straw mulch - £1.50 per loaf from the farm shop
It's about 8" deep, put on in layers as they grew. One of the beds has leafmould under the straw.
Alll grown from seed in a 7-inch pot, half were transplanted in furrows for speed, half dibbed in. Can't see the difference now ::)
I don't usually earth up, so the mulching is a bonus - don't know if it will make a difference
Photo is unretouched ( :o@diana) the leeks are weed free with the mulch except for the odd bit of bindweed which gets nipped off now and then
Next to beetroot - flowering shungiku greens (they tasted horrible so I let them flower), cucumbers, parsnip and celeriac
:)

What do you do with all the straw and the end of the year - dig it in ? I'd be frightend of the Chav's kids tossing a f*g end on my allotment and burning the whole lot..

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you leave it it rots and gets taken down by the worms. Half-rotten straw is no fire hazard, though I suppose newly-laid stuff in a drought might make a nice bonfire for your local pyromaniacs.