Leeks ?

[electric landlady]

I have grown leeks from seed each January or February by filling a very large seed-tray with compost and sprinkling the seed on top. Cover with a thin layer of compost and keep moist.
Simple as well as pretty reliable and, without a doubt, cheaper.

Does anyone else do this?

Yes - that's exactly what I do as well. I transplant the baby leeks to a large pot when they are around 3" tall, I just shove them into the compost in smallish clumps. Then when they are around 6-8" tall they go in the ground (a couple of weeks ago). The books say they are supposed to be as thick as a pencil at this point, but mine never are. However once in the ground they soon get going.

I've never seen leek seedlings on sale anywhere, but then again I haven't really looked for them. But if you can get them I should think they'd do just fine if you planted them out now.

[electric landlady]

[martin godliman]

The ones I got today were about as thick as a pencil.

[strawberry1]

Well they came to day and they look the part and they are in the ground already I even checked up on youtube to make sure I did really know how to put them in.
If they fail it wont be the plants fault......what could possibly go wrong ???...... ::)  :)

er leek moth!  mine are all under enviromesh

[grawrc]

Apart from occasional rust I have found leeks more or less trouble free.

[saddad]

That moth is a real pain... we have all ours under debris netting this time..   :-X

[martin godliman]

Well they came to day and they look the part and they are in the ground already I even checked up on youtube to make sure I did really know how to put them in.
If they fail it wont be the plants fault......what could possibly go wrong ???...... ::)  :)

er leek moth!  mine are all under enviromesh

There's always something  :( I've not grown leeks before if there's something that can get them I'll get I bet.
It's amazing there are any veg in the shops at all considering how much discussion on this forum is about what can go wrong and what to do about it.
It's not surprising large scale farming is so dependent on science and industrial amounts of fertiliser, insecticides and fungicides. Otherwise it would be far too risky.

[Aden Roller]

Apart from occasional rust I have found leeks more or less trouble free.

For years I would have agreed with you - a brilliant, reliable and trouble free crop but then the weather and nature found out how well we were doing with it.

Recently, apart from a touch of rust, the leek moth has been a real nuisance. Nibbled leaves / stem and a poorly looking crop. Fortunately, if left, mine have managed to grow through the damage but not as healthily as before.

[delboy]

Try cutting them down if hit by the dreaded moth and they may well regrow.

We did this the last 2 years and managed to raise a half-decent crop

[strawberry1]

I used to drop the leeks into a hole and water in the hole and that was it!! I did nothing else and always got the most fantastic leeks. That was in s wales in the 80s and 90s. Now in somerset I learnt the hard way, moth is a flipping nuisance and I hate scrabbling under the mesh to weed etc  Then last year I had rust as air flow under the mesh wasn`t brilliant

This year, new airy netted bed and well spaced out leeks, only one variety bleu de solaise. I have my fingers crossed

[Aden Roller]

I used to drop the leeks into a hole and water in the hole and that was it!! I did nothing else and always got the most fantastic leeks.

That's the method I've used for several years except that I take out a long drill flood it with water and let it drain away before dibbing planting holes. It makes it easier if the ground is hard or if the soil is dry & crumbly so falls back into the planting hole before you drop the leek in. I also find it a quick way of watering once they were growing....water along the drill.

The difference for me is the spread of the leek moth.  :(