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.
If Musselburgh is a 'late' variety, go ahead!!
PS I think that the poo could kill them!!
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.
They'd make a nice salad?
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
Not too late to sow more, I will be making my 4th sowing at the weekend in 10" pots.
Jerry
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.
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
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?
You-all have problems??
These were put out 15/5 - small then, yes, but that's no excuse??
mine are similar. Hard to spot them between the weeds....
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
Mine are still in trays. No panic. Maybe plant them this weekend, maybe not. No panic.
:) 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 ???
Mine are starting to get chunky at last, probably set them out this weekend
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/hmstrouncer/Leeks003.jpg)
:o Ooh err :o mine are miniscuel about the thickness of a tooth pick :( not ready to go out yet then ??? ::)
Oops. I sowed mine direct in April!
Quite small, but healthy looking!