Topic: Strange flower on leeks

[woodypecks]

I thought I would save some of my own leek seeds this year . So I let a few flower...most of these flowers are normal looking , but one seems to have a Medusa head of what looks like teeny tiny leek seedlings  :o   Can these be broken up and planted out ?  Anyone know ?

[pigeonseed]

I think I've heard of this somewhere - someone on here might have said something like all alliums can use all of the possible methods of propagating themselves, but each type tends to use one normally. So this is a leek doing a walking onion/crow garlic type of thing, where it forms little bulbils, and perhaps leans over to the ground where they can sprout?

Are you going to try rooting some of them?

[growmore]

These go under a few names . I know em as leek pips .You can shave(cut em off ) with a razor blade and set em . Davey from tyneside is the guy to ask..
Cheers ..Jim

[ed dibbles]

I believe giant pot leek growers used this method of propagation since each new leek would be a clone of the prizewinner pot leek.

It's worth a try growing from the top growth. There is certainly nothing to lose - trial and error as they say. :)

[Deb P]

I tried this one year with some leek pips that grew on my favourite 'pot leeks', and trialled them against the seed from the other plants. They did grow to a normal size, but I found they were not as good as the ones sown from seed, so I haven't bothered again...perhaps it depends on the variety, but it is worth a go!

[davyw1]

It would depend on what type of leek it is, if its a show leek type then it would be worth the effort but if its just an ordinary culinary type then no.

But there is nothing stopping you having a go just as a learning curve. What you would normally do is shave the head and remove all the seed pods, this will allow the grass to grow.
When the grass gets to about an inch, inch and a half you nip it off the seed head and clean it right back you don't want any off the old roots left on, it has to be nice and clean.
You then plant the grass into a good potting compost and let it grow on in slightly moist compost.

[woodypecks]

You lot are just amazing ! Thanks for your replies .  They are very tightly packed together , but I will experiment with them . Free food  always welcome .

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you use seed, you can select and breed for better plants for your conditions. If you use pips, you're cloning your best plants, but you're not improving the overall genetics, and you may well end up cutting down the genetic diversity you have. I'd stick to breeding myself; that way you've always got the chance of producing better plants next year, rather than sticking with what you have.