Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: wardy on December 01, 2005, 14:56:33
-
I'm a bit proud of myself this afto as have just been to lotty to plant a guzgog and whilst there I pulled my first ever - in my whole life - LEEK ;D (imagining round of applause) ;D
Tada ............ and here they are in all their loveliness. Not bad for a first attempt eh. And check out those white bits ;D
Leek and potato soup tonight methinks :)
-
They look absolutley lovely, what type are they please?
-
A pair of beauties Wardy. Hooray for leeks!
-
Well done that girl!! What variety?
A brace of beauties. Now don't forget how you did it!!
-
They are brilliant! How about leek and pumpkin risotto ;D
-
WOW - look at the blanched length on those - how did you manage that? We put ours in 6 imches and earthed up but somehow they've ended up with only about 2 inched of blanched area!
Boo Hoo - how inadequate do I feel now!!??
-
Well done Wardy very impressive!
ooohh b*gger... start again.. blanching.. eh? earthing up??? where is my copy of Joy Larkcom when I need it??
My leeks still look like fat chives so have got plenty of time to boff up on what I should be doing to them ;D
-
Quite agree - very impressive Wardy. Have had a couple myself as well (mine not yours before you run off to check! ) but not as blanched I have to say. Still they taste great - just wish I'd planted more cos only did one seed packet.....
-
They don't come much better than that...Grand uns them Wardy...cheers jim
-
Yes, I can understand you wanting to go on about those, I think I am beginning to understand envy ...
Derekthefox :D
-
They look wonderful Wardy!!! 8) Well done. Bet that soup tasted out of this world too...
D
-
leeks :)
I love this lotty lark :)
Heh...well done. I'm dead jealous, being newbies to this allotmenteering marlarkey we missed out on putting leeks in this year..bah... I'm cooking risotto tomorrow too, I could do with a couple of those. Nevermind I'll have to make do with a couple of supermarket (spit) leeks and a massive glass of noilly prat. :'(
-
well done luverrly blanching ;D ;D
-
Well Done
If they taste half as good as they look, we'll all be round for Dinner??
Chris
-
Next time, Wardy, steam them - not so soggy??
Oh, and tastier - & nice concentrated stock remaining.
-
Sits with mouth open looking at leeks and thinking, maybe next year.....
Well done Wardy. ;)
-
Wardy, I have to say (like everyone else) they look marvelous :)
Well done to you!!
-
Wardy they do look good! ever so envious! half of mine resemble spring onions at present, for some reason.
And chriszog, just saw your fish! almost as good as the leeks...:)
-
oh well done,
how did they taste?
mine look totally rat-eared, nibbled and stunted ::)
Tara xxx
-
Mine are the same DaveandTara ...
Derekthefox :(
-
Stop it Wardy, you've got me dribbling again ...
Derekthefox :D
-
Wow, they look really good:)
I've not taken any of mine up yet but they have orange rust all over them so they will likely be composted!
-
Well done Wardy. Is there anything you can’t grow! They look fantastic!!
Your talk about soup just makes my mouth water.
What a great idea. My OH loves soup. I’ll have to butter him up with that, with unusual varieties for summer. Have you tried wrapping them with ham and baking in oven. Delish.
Icyberjunkie – you’ve planted 1 packet!!
I’ve been waiting forever for mine to grow. I bought the seedlings from the nursery but it might have been the wrong season. Planted them first day of spring and they now look like bunching onions!! But apparently I’ve got another 2 months to go!
Me thinks I should plant another batch. (sowing seeds wasn’t successful for me).
Well done again Wardy. It is certainly worth the wait for such a prize.
-
Yes, caz and baz, just ignore the rust, the main stems will be fine, and just as delicious ...
Derekthefox :D
-
He he Spam and leeks eh ...
Derekthefox :D
-
Spams off!!
-
Wow Wardy!! Sorry to be late, have I missed the leeks and spam....?? Lurve spam, is dad's fault......They look fantastic!! Well done you!
Lottie
-
Wot no spam?
Luncheon meat instead I suppose ...
Derekthefox :D
-
Bit late I know wardy, but just wanted to say COR!!! ::) Love the white bits! Will take earthing up seriously from now on ... ;D
-
Well done Wardy. I haven't tried to grow them yet but know they wouldn't be anywhere near as good as yours.
Pauline
-
Have to say, my first leeks were my best ever... and did I really say that?? But they were!!! Think that ever since, have been trying too hard...
-
Wards, you'll be fine.. just make sure that when wandering round plot, don't let leeks catch you looking at them....act relaxed and unfussed, whistle even, pretend to look anywhere but at leeks... ::) ;)
-
Yes our first efforts always seem to score so highly in success terms, infuriating for the diehards, who tell you it is not possible, and frustrating for ourselves, as we struggle to match the standard the following year. So much of it IS a lottery, alas we don't always know just which bit ...
Derekthefox :D
-
My first leek crop was totally pathetic, as were most of the others. After several years of steadily removing weeds and building up the soil, I'm now getting far better results. It's just patience and hard work.
-
Yes, I have had 5 seasons now, and my crops are beginning, just beginning, to look respectable. Still getting abysmal failures though, so I have learned to smile regardless...
Derekthefox :D
-
Yeh, but that barbel........
-
Winter is reading season 8) and this year I'm going to follow the suggestion to plant three seeds in a kitchen roll roll full of compost and see if I get wunda leeks ... ;D
-
Whats wrong with bog rolls ?
Derekthefox :D
-
I am sure our house will generate its own quantity of refuse, including cracker rolls etc, but our wrapping paper doesnt seem to have the tubes in ... What can be directed towards the allotment certainly will ...
It's only me that preaches bah humbug in our house by the way ;D
Derekthefox :D
-
The long small diameter rolls from wrapping paper would seem to be made for salsify or burdock he he thanks for the tip wardy but I want me leeks fat ;D
-
Wrapping rolls! What a good idea. I never think of these things.
Pulled my first leek on Saturday. Proud moment followed by gritty moments as hadn't washed it properly. :)
-
Please indulge me in an off-topic moment ... Sarah, I am growing salsify this season for the first time, do I need rolls to get a good crop?
I am busy at work cutting up old pieces of 1 1/2 inch plastic drain pipe for my leeks ...
-
So long as you have ground that's friable reasonably deep, and not freshly manured, as for carrots, your salsify should grow nicely D if you sow direct. I am going to make a seed tape to be parsleymonious! BUT I am also going to try starting in toilet rolls to see if this gives 'em a good start, so let's experiment with a double trial - rolls, and au naturel - and see how they do ;) Which variety/ies you going to plant?
-
Whoops, should we start a salsify thread D, this one is about leeks :-[ :P
-
Sandwich Island, Sarah. You have answered my question, thank you. Wardy, please don't report me for going off topic ... :)
-
Wardy. Methinks I will try some leeks. Can get an abundance of strong tubes from the insides of sons vinyl rolls..I think they are about 2ft long!!
-
Sorry for being obtuse, but are the tubes/ rolls for blanching purposes? ::)
-
Yes grawrc, in that they produce a longer white stem, I get the impression that earthing up, or fitting collars actually extends the length of the leek ...
-
Well, there could be two uses for the rolls ... first, as little plant pots for seedlings, and second, as a blanching aid when the leeks are a bit bigger (i.e. fitted after and before earthing up) :P. Experiment, experiment ::)
-
Winter is reading season 8) and this year I'm going to follow the suggestion to plant three seeds in a kitchen roll roll full of compost and see if I get wunda leeks ... ;D
What compost would you use for growing leeks, please? I want to try growing some next year and have been saving the cardboard centres from kitchen rolls, tin foil and loo rolls.
-
Hey Pauline, I just use an all purpose compost as cheap as possible from a seed merchant or roughie toughie garden centre. It's surprising how much those little tubes lap up! I put them in a box or shallow crate and fill them up with the cut-off funnel I use for jam pot filling :P. Once you've planted them, they will sink down when you water them.
Depending on what you've planted in them, you can plant shallow or deep. I plan to whittle a piece of fat dowel as a dibber to make planting out easier this year.
There are some peeps who make their own seed compost here, check out with the A4a 'search' for recipes ;D