Topic: Planting out leeks - what size?

[George the Pigman]

I have some leek seedlings to go out to the lotty and was reviewing the advice on when they are ready to pop into the ground.
Traditionally the advice I have seen says they should be about 6-9 inches high and the thickness of a pencil. I would say mine are that height but certainly not pencil thickness (unless one has a particularly thin pencil!).

What does everyone else do?

PS I tend to plant them latish as if I do that too early they get devastated by allium leaf miner.

[Paulh]

If they are that height, plant them out, Give them plenty of fertilizer, water, weeding and love.

I've never got them to pencil thickness from pots / modules. My best results come from transplanting to a nursery row in April / May and then to the bed. Before that, I was planting out ones that were weeks old blades of grass, but still got reasonable leeks.

I think it's again a case of the composts aren't what they used to be, I now put some chicken manure pellets in the modules to give a boost.

This year I have no leeks as two sowings failed (I have a greenhouse for the first time and ended up frying a lot of things) but have direct sowed "Nipper" for mini leeks. Perhaps!

[saddad]

They will grow away strongly at this time of year... a newbie on our site sowed some last July and planted them out in August... great looking leeks in March when most of ours were used or were going over...

[JanG]

I also plant mine out very small. Because I grow a lot I start them in largish trays with quite small modules which they were giving away at the garden centre. So they need planting out quite soon.

I started mine in February and planted them out in April. The early ones like Bulgarian Giant and King Richard are more or less ready now.

It seems that they can put up with quite a variation in timing. But pencil thickness? Like Paulh I’ve never got near that. Thought I was failing somehow till one year I had a loss so did an online order for some replacement leek plants and found they were grass like. They did fine, so after that I didn’t worry about the pencil thickness myth!

[galina]

Most of mine are not pencil thickness, but I just plant them out anyway.  If they are long enough they will not go under in the planting holes.  I usually have too many plants anyway, so can ditch a few spindly ones at planting time. 

[Tiny Clanger]

If I waited for mine to get to the recommended "pencil thickness", I would be planting out 2021!  I plant mine out when they look big enough to survive in the big plot.  This year I have Blue de Solaise, to see if the glaucous tinge to the leaves hold moisture better.  I've topped and tailed some and left the rest.  I must admit, the topped and tailed rows look sturdier and are thriving well.  GOod luck with leeks, I've always had very mixed results 

[Tulipa]

Mine have never got to pencil thickness either, and over the years I have seen lots of people say the same on here.  I have been thinking of sowing some now so reading Saddad's post I will, thanks :)

[George the Pigman]

Thanks for all your replies. Looks like I will be popping them into the ground tomorrow!

[laurieuk]

When I plant out I always just count how many plants then make the same number of holes using a dibber, I then rim both top and roots when putting plants in the holes, I follow along the  row with the watering can just putting enough in to wake the plant  right down to the  bottom of the hole. I find trimming the roots make this a lot easier. I never fill in until it gradually gets filled when hoeing etc., the further you get the pant down in the hole the bigger the leek. If you are using the old trick of tryig to gette maximum length for  showing please remember to use newspaper or similar at the top to stop the sun shining down the hole making  for a pale green leek rather than a clear white one . I have  often judged pale green rather than white.