Author Topic: Growing Leeks (Read 3411 times)

gordonsveg · « **on:** January 30, 2008, 09:16:56 »

:-[ :-[ This is definitly going to be my last year for trying to grow leeks, everybody says how easy they are. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
Can anybody tell me the best soil (ph level), type of leek and manuring?.
P.S. I live in Devon if that helps.

valentinelow · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:20:28 »

I cannot offer any great insight, but I have never had any huge problems. I grow in London clay - no idea what the pH is, as I have never tested it.
I grow Musselburgh leeks. In late spring I prepare a seed bed, and sow the seeds in shallow drills. The drills are quite close together - it does not matter, because I am going to transplant them later. The seed bed is probably about 2ft by 2ft, or thereabouts. That is enough for about three or four drills.
When the plants are a reasonable size (the books say the thickness of a pencil, but if you ask me they are never that thick: I just go for it when they are 6-8in tall) I transplant them to their final position. I make holes with a broom handle about 12in apart, drop the leek in and water them in - not pushing the soil in. The holes fills in naturally quite quickly.
Before transplanting, I follow the conventional advice and trim the tops and tails. No idea if it makes a difference, but it makes it easier dropping the leeks into the holes.
Currently enjoying the leeks at the moment: very good they are too...

valentinelow · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:22:23 »

PS Just re-read your post. The leeks go in my onions and roots bed, which means they don't get any manure as the carrots don't like it. No special treatment at all, in fact.

Tee Gee · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:25:18 »

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

To tell you the truth Gordon I don't know Huh Can you tell us what you have done in the past, don't be embarrassed its quite possible others are going wrong as well so telling us what you have done can only help everyone.

In your reply tell us if you want early season or over-wintering leeks, long leeks or short then I am sure between us we will have you growing leeks in no time at all.

Look forward to your reply.

cleo · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:28:13 »

Beyond all the sound advice given I can add little-but one thing comes to mind-water?-they can take any amount-just a thought

markfield rover · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:30:55 »

I will be sowing mine at the weekend in 6 inch pots approx 40 seeds, bung in cold gh then transplant when 8 inches into 6 inch holes on plot .

Paulines7 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2008, 10:43:49 »

Like Markfield rover, I start mine off in a container, usually an ice cream carton with holes drilled in the bottom. I also put mine to germinate in an unheated greenhouse and plant them out the same way.

I find Musselburgh are the most reliable ones to grow.

You could try both ways, Gordonsveg, by putting half in a container and half straight into a prepared seed bed. You would then know what works best for you.

Chris Graham · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2008, 12:58:48 »

Quote from: markfield rover on January 30, 2008, 10:30:55

I will be sowing mine at the weekend in 6 inch pots approx 40 seeds, bung in cold gh then transplant when 8 inches into 6 inch holes on plot .

Will that work in an unheated green house? ust wonderer coz i would like to do that.

markfield rover · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2008, 13:09:56 »

Aftrnoon
Yes unheated works for me.

Chris Graham · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2008, 13:31:56 »

Sounds good, job for the weekend for me then

twinkletoes · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2008, 14:44:11 »

Is sowing them in a cold GH this weekend ok for Musselbrugh leeks? Also, what about those horrible little catapiller things? I got them on my leeks last autumn. I didn't pull the leeks up and didn't want to spray them with anything so just left them. The leeks survived but have remained fairly thin. Any ideas on how to deal with this problem?
Twinkletoes

Tee Gee · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2008, 16:35:04 »

Quote

Musselbrugh leeks? have remained fairly thin

Did you dibble them in?

I prefer to grow them above ground.

twinkletoes · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2008, 16:41:45 »

I did all the usual stuff TeeGee - started them off in a bed then transferred them into dibbed holes, filled with water and left them. They started off ok but got these caterpiller things on them. Others on the lottie did too so it's not just me.
Twinkletoes

bupster · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2008, 16:52:56 »

What variety were they, twinkletoes? My King Richard are fattening up beautifully now, though they probably should have been pulled already, but my bleu de solaise (late leeks) still look a bit sad and thin.

twinkletoes · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2008, 16:55:10 »

They were Musselbrugh Bupster. But its the caterpiller things I'm more concerned about - what were they and how do I protect against them next year? Any ideas would be useful.
Twinkletoes

debster · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2008, 16:59:13 »

im in Devon mine are growing just slowly lol :)

caroline7758 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2008, 17:35:41 »

I'm amazed that people are sowing them this early- are these early varieties?

Tee Gee · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2008, 17:39:48 »

Quote

But its the caterpiller things I'm more concerned about - what were they and how do I protect against them next year?

Is this what you have? http://tinyurl.com/2jf8fg

Quote

I'm amazed that people are sowing them this early- are these early varieties?

I won't sow mine till mid April at the earliest, see no point of starting them early as the take up valuable space in the coldframe that could be put to a better use.

Barnowl · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2008, 17:43:25 »

quote author=gordonsveg link=topic=38609.msg383485#msg383485 date=1201684616]
:-[ :-[ This is definitly going to be my last year for trying to grow leeks, everybody says how easy they are. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
Can anybody tell me the best soil (ph level), type of leek and manuring?.
P.S. I live in Devon if that helps.
[/quote]

This may sound silly, but one possibility is you are starting too early. My first year (2006) I didn't sow Toledo (a winter variety) in an outdoor seedbed until the beginning of May. I transplanted them in the third week of July.

It's warm down there in Devon and perhaps in these increasingly warm summers and in the south, green veg should go out a bit later not earlier, because they will grow faster. The earlier you put them out the more chance there is they'll go to seed.

Alternatively....

This probably isn't the done thing, but if you happened, like I did last year, to forget to actually sow any leeks this address might help...

http://www.organicplants.co.uk/acatalog/Catalogue____Leeks_39.html

Or you could buy a few to act as a control to narrow down whether it's the starting off of your leeks or the growing on that is a problem

debster · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2008, 18:30:21 »

mine are my last year winter ones !!! :o :o :o :o :o

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Author Topic: Growing Leeks (Read 3411 times)