Topic: LEEK QUESTION

[davyw1]

Seems a lot of messing about to get some leeks without guaranties, when you can but what you want for a couple of quid.

[aj]

Only you said you had several rare varieties, so I knew you were keeping them separate! I don't know quite how far apart they need to be, but I'd feel fairly confident about two varieties at opposite ends of the plot. I wouldn't try it with brassicas though, as honeybees are too fond of them, and they specialise in a single species.

Sorry - only one variety!

[aj]

Seems a lot of messing about to get some leeks without guaranties, when you can but what you want for a couple of quid.

No messing. Just cut the flower heads off once a year, pop into a shoebox under the stairs for the winter.

You could say that about any seed saving...meanwhile I get a reliable variety that is attuned to my region that I use to swap with other people....when you start giving seeds away you get your investment back plenty. I'd estimate about £20-£30 quid of seeds comes back my way from swapped seeds each year at the very least.

[davyw1]

What do you mean you just cut the flower head off once a year, the leek is in the ground growing for almost that amount of time then it can be almost as long again to get the seed.

[aj]

What do you mean you just cut the flower head off once a year, the leek is in the ground growing for almost that amount of time then it can be almost as long again to get the seed.

This year's flowers will be the third lot from the same leeks. They are sat in my soft fruit bed permanently.

They were chosen for their late flowering and their bulking up ability and the variety for their taste and ability to stand the weather.

I just walk over to them in October, cut the heads off and put them in a shoe box.

Simples.

[davyw1]

Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct

[aj]

Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct

Correct.

Well, I do plant out fresh leeks for eating; but I selected about 8, dug them up and put them in my rasp bed, and use just those for seed saving each year.

[davyw1]

Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct

Correct.

Well, I do plant out fresh leeks for eating; but I selected about 8, dug them up and put them in my rasp bed, and use just those for seed saving each year.

So you plant your leeks out round about April let them grow on then select a few transplant them and they have gone to seed by October of that year, am i getting there
Also how do you get a leek to give off more than one seed head i have only ever had one grow before the leek dies off.

Hope i am not boring you

[Jayb]

All sounds very interesting and a new one on me,  I didn't know leeks would grow following flowering, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. Aj, I have some of your leek seedlings which although small at the momment (sown Feb) they are growing strongly, germination was super.

[aj]

Glad to hear it  :D

I read that spending too much effort extracting the seeds from the dried flower heads sometimes cracked the seeds and reduced the germination rate....so I just leave them in the flowers now and haven't had a bad batch yet.