My leeks are dismal

[redimp]

I have three trays of Musselborough leeks that look, to put it bluntly, pathetic.  I tried to rescue them at the weekend by scattering some chicken poo pellets on the trays but they have continued to go downhill ever since.  I now only have about 14 leeks from my first sowing - which was allegedly too early, they now look very healthy indeed.  Is there anything I can do - it is now a bit late to sow more Musselboroughs.

PS - Kitty - is that offer of some leeks still open.  Sorry did not make it into shop over half term - various crisis arose.

[redimp]

[tim]

If Musselburgh is a 'late' variety, go ahead!!

PS I think that the poo could kill them!!

[redimp]

Ah well - they were dying anyway.  I think Musselburgh are a middle variety but my neighbour had all his standing through winter and they were a good size and tasted great (he let me have some - love lottying) so I will give them a try.  Do not think fourteen will keep me going.

[tim]

They'd make a nice salad?

[Doris_Pinks]

They may be desperate to spread their roots! try putting them as they are, into a spare spot somewhere, have just done this with my trays and they have forged ahead! DP

[sandersj89]

Not too late to sow more, I will be making my 4th sowing at the weekend in 10" pots.

Jerry

[Ed^Chigliak]

My leeks look very poor also and I'm blaming it on duff compost that looked more like wood bark chips than compost. Whenever I've had plants limping along doing nothing I just plant them out in 'real' soil under a 'real' sky and more often than not they do OK. All my early plantings in the duff compost have done OK after I planted them outside. My leeks went out at the weekend looking like blades of grass but they'll do OK too if I just leave then alone to recover.

[moonbells]

I planted the last 35 seeds from a 2 year old packet and got precisely three up. One has survived.  I gave up.

Roughly the same time as this I found a clump of leek seedlings in my fruit area. There's been a couple of leek plants growing in there for years and last year's flowered spectacularly about 5' off the ground. I now know what happened to the flower head when it finished. It fell over and the seeds grew where it fell. They are really nice healthy seedlings!

So yes, I agree, they sometimes prefer real soil and real sky and grow when conditions say so rather than when we decide to.

moonbells

[aquilegia]

Mine are pathetic too.

The ones I sowed in modules were mostly munched by slugs before they were big enough to plant out. Ones I sowed in the bed in April now look like blades of grass.

what's going on?

[tim]

You-all have problems??

These were put out 15/5 - small then, yes, but that's no excuse??

[westsussexlottie]

mine are similar. Hard to spot them between the weeds....

[busy_lizzie]

My OH planted his leeks out this week.  It always amazes me to see how well they grow.  At the moment they look like small blades of grass, but I know from previous years how they can flourish from those little weedy shoots.   :) busy_lizzie   

[kenkew]

Mine are still in trays. No panic. Maybe plant them this weekend, maybe not. No panic.

[Roy Bham UK]

 :) Ken any chance of a piccy please so I can compare yours with mine, I have some in a tray and some in toilet roll inards and they are both about the same size approx. 3in and very thin ???

[Merry Tiller]

Mine are starting to get chunky at last, probably set them out this weekend

[Roy Bham UK]

 :o Ooh err :o mine are miniscuel about the thickness of a tooth pick :( not ready to go out yet then ??? ::)

[Shoyu]

Oops. I sowed mine direct in April!

Quite small, but healthy looking!