Leeks not bulking up

[robkb]

Hi everyone, here's a quick question  - I know you're not supposed to plant leeks out until they're pencil-thick, but how long do they take to get to this stage? I sowed some several weeks ago in modules and although they germinated really well, they're still a bit weedy (probably should be grassy) looking :(. I'm watering regularly but not overdoing it, just wondering if the roots need more room (they're in standard trays with 24 modules per tray). Any help will be greatly appreciated, especially as my family love leeks!

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[robkb]

[glow777]

Hi Rob
Leeks are slow growing and most people will have started them off in Feb.

Leave them in the modules until they put a bit more weight on they'll be OK

[robkb]

Ta very much. Feb? Blimey, I was late - must've been April before mine were sown. Oh well, glad to hear it's just me being impatient!

Cheers,
Rob :)

[sandersj89]

April is not too late I beleieve, I dont start mine of till March/April and get good sized crops.

They will be fine in the trays but you could give them a weak feed to help them on a touch.

Jerry

[Paulines7]

.......I know you're not supposed to plant leeks out until they're pencil-thick, but how long do they take to get to this stage?

Oh dear, I planted mine out late last night and they are nowhere near pencil thickness.  Does this mean that they will not survive?    :'(   They had really good roots on them and they have had a really thorough soaking this morning with the sprinkler.

[caroline7758]

I asked a similar question last week on here & was advised to plant them out anyway- mine were getting to about 10" tall but still very thin. They are in now so fingers crossed!

[Tee Gee]

What would be helpful to know is the variety, this will help to establish if they are 'pot leeks' or 'blanch leeks' because cultural instructions are quite different.

Then again if they are the winter hardy type the instructions would be somewhat different again.

OK this year is not a normal year for me as far as leeks are concerned I had germination problems due to using old seed.

In early June I managed to obtain some seedlings ready for pricking out, these I pricked out into 70mm (3") pots and I have given them more protection than I would normally to push them on a bit, i.e.

I have lept them in a greenhouse as opposed to a coldframe.

They are the variety 'Mussleburgh' which I grow as a winter leek.

They are now about 6"-8" tall and not quite pencil thick but I am thinking of planting them out in the next week to ten days.

For more information have a look in here;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Leeks.htm

[robkb]

Thanks everyone for the help. Tee Gee, I've sown two types - Autumn Giant and Mr Lyon's (a Victorian 'heritage' variety bought at the Lost Gardens of Heligan). From what you're all saying, I just have to wait a bit for them to thicken up and then plant them out when the first early spuds have been lifted.

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[supersprout]

Spot on rob, that's the perfect time to put your leeks in.
I sowed mine on 26 April, and they are ready to put out once the spuds are dug. The largest are 3mm thick, not quite a pencil  :)

[robkb]

3mm? What I wouldn't give for 3mm... :-[

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[redimp]

Mine have been in a tray since March and a fine lawn is about all they can be described as.

[moonbells]

Don't worry too much about the leek thickness. I find in modules they don't get that thick anyway simply because of the lack of soil and nutrients after a few weeks.  This year I changed tack and grew mine in a half-tray, and they supported each other nicely and got to about 2-4mm in diameter, at which point I pulled them all apart and dropped them into foot-deep holes! The holes had been watered prior to planting,  I poked them into the bottom using a bamboo cane and then watered them again. You could barely see the leaves above the soil.

I now have a forest of leaves above the holes, with leeks almost doubled in diameter, after only 3 weeks. Once they get their roots down, they grow very fast!

(I've been topping up their holes once a week - that's the only watering they've had.)

moonbells

[Tee Gee]

Quote; I've sown two types - Autumn Giant and Mr Lyon's (a Victorian 'heritage' variety bought at the Lost Gardens of Heligan).

I have looked these varieties up and there appears to be three or four sub species of Autumn Giant but each is a variety that can be carried through the winter.

Couldn't find Mr Lyons but because it is a heritage variety it is possibly a winter variety grown as a winter veg for the 'big house'

I can't think of any blanch variety that can be grown through winter.

[kitty]

i've grown autumn giant and musselburgh-and they've lost their blinkin labels.....
*bah!*
and
*harumph*

kitty

[Tee Gee]

Quote; autumn giant and musselburgh-and they've lost their blinkin labels

Don't worry about it, they will both taste similar when they come out of the pot.

[MrsKP]

i've often read about this "pencil thickness" requirement and wondered why ?

i shoved my musselburghs in various pots when they were thin thin and they seem to be doing ok.  I've also sown some mini veg Leed Armour around some of the Musselburghs and they seem to be coming up as well.

They've all weathered the recent batterings fairly well, ok a few bent/broken outside leaves but nothing much to moan about.

I'll let you know at the end of the season whether I was impressed or not !

;D

[moonbells]

I can't think of any blanch variety that can be grown through winter.

Do you mean grow or just stands? I grow Autumn Mammoth Verina and they don't usually reach full size until spring. Fantastic leek - really like it a lot. Hard to find seeds though. I grew it and Musselburgh one year (2002), and all the Musselburghs bolted by September.

(Unwins stock it - their site says 5020-1230: Leek Autumn Mammoth Verina
Strong resistance to rust disease, suited to organic methods. Produces medium length, very straight leeks with dark green leaves.)

moonbells

[Mrs Ava]

Mine went in yesterday, and they weren't pencil thickness, but when they are given as a gift and the doner needs the tray back, well, I found some room and in they went.  No idea on variety as no labels.

At home, I have a tray of autumn giant which I will be planting out in the next couple of weeks when my spuds start coming out - if I ever get to the end of the volunteers! 

I don't grow them for showing or anything, so don't mind how thick or thin they are, as I can't grow maincrop onions, leeks are my winter alliums so I start to take them once my overwintering onions are all used up, so they might only be thumb thickness when I start taking them, but they work just perfectly!

[Robert_Brenchley]

As long as they're long enough to go in the holes you dib for them, that's all that matters. They'll bulk up. Mine are now too big for a seed tray, but thatnks to the late season I can't lift my early spuds yet to make room for them. So I've planted them out a couple of inches apart in a spare seed bed, and they'll have to grow on there for a bit.

[kitty]

ah,robert...it doesnt hurt them,then,to be re-potted(within reason)as i'm not quite ready yet either!
kitty