OK, now that business is over we can get back to veg :)
When is the earliest I can plant leeks. My packet says March but mine were a little bit diddy. Can I sow now or soonish indoors to try and get them a bit bigger next year?
I sow them in Jan or Feb, in a tray or modules and leave them in there until it's a bit warmer, say April.
What strain did You grow RC? ..Jim
Musselborough this and next year plus I also have another couple of varieties to grow this year as well. I will have to dig my seeds out and let you know.
I have loads of Musselburgh (got it right this time) and some Autumn Poristo. I also have an old unopened packet or Organic Wilkos Carentan with a sow before date of December 2004.
Quote from: jennym on December 26, 2005, 09:44:50
I sow them in Jan or Feb, in a tray or modules and leave them in there until it's a bit warmer, say April.
I grew them like this and they were good.
Quote from: redclanger on December 26, 2005, 09:41:06
OK, now that business is over we can get back to veg :)
When is the earliest I can plant leeks. My packet says March but mine were a little bit diddy. Can I sow now or soonish indoors to try and get them a bit bigger next year?
I dumped the whole packet of seeds in a tray last year, was told on here that I might struggle separating them to get them in the ground but managed to grow quite a few big 'uns. However, it was nowhere near this time of year - I'll be interested to know how you get on.
Following this with interest, haven't grown leeks before but they are one of my fave veggies so would like to grow some this year :)
Your 2004 leek seeds should be OK as You say they are unopened....
I am told leek seeds will keep for 3 years or more..
Musselburgh is what I grow and You should get em to a goodly size...
Leeks need manure not fresh but well rotted if You have any dig it in where they are going..Or grow them where You manured for a previous crop ..
This is way I do it....I set mine in March usually, I use a deepish seed tray as  they are in it for a while.
I use  a gritty seed compost as in John innes num 1 and 2 mixed together roughly 50/50...I tried a multi purpose one but didn't get same results and it was a pain sifting lumps of koya or peat or whatever out of it..
Some of the stuff  I got out looked like tufts out of a brush .. :D
I leave em in seed tray to grow till they are about 8 or 9 inch long  maybe longer and just a bit thinner than a pencil...I then harden em off...
To plant  em out I rake a bit of blood fish and bone into row where they are going .I suppose if Your a vegetarian you could miss this out..
Then I dibbles a hole using half an old spade handle sharpened at bottom wabble it about so top of hole is wider than bottom drop in one of my leek plants  leaving about an inch of the leaves  showing above hole and then fill hole with water.... I don't back fill the hole with soil ...I just leave it .. When plants start growing I water them well at soil level. .
This will be an interesting thread if others put the way they do it because I think we will find the top and tailing popping up..
I think i digressed there R C  ;D  To answer your question yes You can set em now but You will need heat and prob need to pot your plants on into 3 inch pots as it's gonna be a while before You can set them  outside..Jim..
Thanks for the comprehensive advice Jim - might set some in Jan as an experiment but delay the bulk until Feb - early March.
Delilah, if they are one of your faves and you have never grown them then you must. They are one of the veg where the difference between what you grow and what you buy is most marked. I have been able to directly compare my leeks with a tasteless unamed variety bought from Tescos this week. Mine may not have looked so neat but the difference in taste was amazing.
I have contemplated the same thing - partially for the reasons that Jim gives in that they stay in the trays for a long time so occupy a lot of space in that respect - the answer is yes they can and I think they do do well doing in this was. My trouble is I do not have anywhere stale enough to use as a seed bed yet.
I have traditionally sown my leeks in March, a February sowing would definitely ease my sowing regime. I generally plant three varieties, an early, main season and a late season crop. Could these all be sown early?
Derekthefox :D
I've always sown mine direct and have had great results, the one season I planted them in modules was the worst harvest to date. I'm really beginning to think that the less care I take, the better.. ::) Though that's probably just me being me...
I have had poor results with modules too, I plant mine in a deep box, eg an ice cream container, so the roots have plenty of room to grow. Teasing them apart afterwards is a bit fiddly though, something to relax on a bench with cup of coffee and take my time with ...
Derekthefox
I sow in those big mushroom punnets around March then plant out around May. Dib a hole and wash them in.
They are fine for Christmas but even better a couple of months later when there is not much about.
i didnt start my leeks until about may, had them in a pot and neglected them some until about late august, then planted them on the plot. they are now all 'baby leek plus' size - had some for xmas dinner - yum! i dont really like the full grown version so much so little leeks suit me fine. (plus i have to juggle with space on my plot...)
they are the only veg of note left - that plus the broccoli will keep me going...
Yes when I have picked all the main leeks in a row, there are normally several which are small, ie about half inch diameter or less. I pick all these as a bulk lot and they make delicious soup, or cooked whole in the oven.
Derekthefox :D
I start my leeks in Febbo and looking out of the window I still have half a dozen in the ground LOL, think it largely depends on your location RC.. I am told that south wales has similiar weather to torquay so maybe thats why I can plant out in February.. also cover with agricultural fleece just to be on the safe side..
hope this helps?
ozzy
I grow mine much the same way as Jim, when I manage to get it done (I didn't get them in last year and was reduced to buying plants). I can never get them to that size in a tray though.
I sow my leeks in march in a corner of the herb bed In June when I have lifted my first bed of second earlies, I fertilise and limed the ground and then transplant the leeks into the 2nd early bed 6inches each way.
MikeB
Quote from: growmore on December 26, 2005, 12:22:31
Then I dibbles a hole using half an old spade handle sharpened at bottom wabble it about so top of hole is wider than bottom drop in one of my leek plants  leaving about an inch of the leaves  showing above hole and then fill hole with water.... I don't back fill the hole with soil ...I just leave it .. When plants start growing I water them well at soil level.
I've heard of this before, I planted leeks for the first time last year and looking this morning have some the thickness of my arm and some the size of pencils (most have been eaten and tasted wonderful). This generally reflects my varied soil quality). However my plants are quite shallow and not very white 2-3 inches blanched. will using the dibber method increase the blanched area and (silly question time) wont the leeks rattle round in a hole to big and be susceptible to frost?
They'll be OK; I think pouring the water in probably washes soil down over the roots, and they're frost-hardy anyway.
Hi glow, The holes fill in very quickly ...As Robert says Quite a bit of soil is washed down when You fill hole with water.You will usually get about a 7 or 8 inch blanch on your leek . As its usually May-June when they go out frost has never been a prob .. I also sow some seeds later and set plants out about late July-early August...Jim
Talking of dibbing leek holes, I must make myself a long handled dibber this year, for that one task. I have been using an old fork handle (fork handles? - giggles of the Two Ronnies sketch - sorry!) and after dibbing three hundred holes my back gets rather grumbly, particularly since these holes are created about June, when the ground is more compacted and dry. So my solution is to get a broom handle and attach a cross piece which will take my foot pressure. Position the pole correctly and press into the soil, using foot pressure to assist - no bending involved. Slight weaving of the pole should make it withdraw easily ...
Do you trim roots and shoots before planting?
Good idea. So that just leaves the problem of getting it to grow in its tray to the point where I can drop it into a deep hole and still have a bit sticking out of the top.
hmmm, perhaps a length of 1 1/4" plastic waste pipe ... drop the leek in at the top ... and a cane to push it down into the hole if needed ...
Thinking straight off the top of my head here, mind you ...
But you will still need to organise the growing ... :D
I sow my leeks in early March into 3" pots in the greenhouse. Never get as thick as a pencil, but harden em off anyway and plant em out. No dibbing or owt.
My problem is forgetting a succession and I have a load of big leeks now and not much in February/March.
Must try harder next year... :-\
RB .Thats why i use a John innes 50/50 1 and 2 mix there seems to be more food in it for seedlings ..Alternatively give seedlings a weak feed with phostrogen or miracle grow..When they are growing ..
TM . Do you earth em up to get blanch or collar em ? Jim...
I dibbed a hole about 6" deep and that is about as far down as my soil goes. Bit lazy in that I have too much digging still to do (don't start Wardy) to bother with earthing up yet so I went round and popped toilet roll tubes on them all and I have a lovely long white bit. As I now have my own camera, I shall photo the next lot I pull so that I can show you.
I have never trimmed roots or shoots, I consider that this just weakens the seedling. I always intend to hoe up, but somehow I never get round to it ...
RIGHT! Thats it! I'm doing leeks this year...Thanks everyone! :-*
I did the same as Redclanger - dibbed and rolled. Then found that most of the toilet roll tubes unrolled after it had rained and the bed was covered in disintegrating strips of cardboard - all good for the compost bin/soil I suppose but not really the result I wanted!. Where the tubes survived have now got lovely long white stems.
That has got me thinking ... yes I do think occasionally !!! Would offcuts of old drainpipe work instead of toilet rolls. Just thinking of recycling again ... Another trial to set up ...
I asked about the drainpipe idea earlier in the year but was told it would be a haven for sluggies and mould, so didn't bother. Instead, when I weeded between them, I earthed them up, and I had a sack of old leaf mould, so I used that between the rows to earthe them up even more. I havebene digging leeks with anywhere from 12 to 16 inches of blanched stem!
I sow mine in February in trays, then forget about them until Apri/May, then plant. I can't be doing with dibbing, to trowel out a planting hole, drop in seedling, water and forget! I don't trim roots, didn't know it was ever advised, I do remember someone saying you shouldn't becuase the young plant will then loose that root and grow a new one from the base plate, thus slowing down the growth.
I love leeks, apart from the great taste (which I have acquired since having an allotment) but also because I am unable to grow maincrop onions due to the white rot, so leeks fill my allium gap nicely providing me with stems from September through to March/April! ;D
QuoteTM . Do you earth em up to get blanch or collar em ?
Never bothered, Jim. I can use the green bits just as well as the white bits...
I use bits of drain pipe as collars on my leeks. I put them over just before the leaves get too big to fit through the hole. It works quite well and you can gradually fill the 6 inch high drain pipe with soil or a mix of soil and sand if you have slug problems.
If you have sawn a long plastic pipe into bits then it is worth smoothing the rough edges off before using the individual sections, otherwise a bit of wind rock can do quite a bit of damage to the leaves as they rub up against the edges of the plastic tube.
I am glad I raised that point then John - thanks. What size of pipe have you used, and was that deliberate, or what was available ...
It was the proceeds of a successful skip raid, following the end of a construction contract for new homes, I managed to get about 20 foot of the stuff.
I think its just standard size, a little bit wider than the rim of a coffee mug, I was surprised at how easy it was to saw up and it all fits into one bin liner for transporting to the lottie.
I have plenty of skip access at work, and there seem to be several around at the moment too. I will be keeping my eyes peeled ...
I've heard of the drain pipe thing before too, guys who do the show thing use them I believe...I'll eat em whatever colour though! ;D
I have extremely limited space in my flat for growing in pots/trays, so this year I am going to try direct sowing all my leeks. I did a short row of direct sown leeks last year and they were the best ones I grew :)
I didn't earth them up very well, so this year I think I will try digging a bit of a trench before sowing, and try to earth up as the season progresses.
As promised yonks ago.
Leeks in toilet roll tube:
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/redclanger/IMGP0146.jpg)
Some dug - small but tasty:
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/redclanger/IMGP0148.jpg)
Both photos should be the same size - don't know why they aren't. ???
Yes noted, I have started saving tubes, but will try and get plastic tube if I can ...
I sow seeds in April then about late July when they are about 1/4" diameter I transplant into holes dibbed about 8" deepusing a old handle I alway top and tail them. By cutting the tap root this encourages the root to spreadout, I planted two varieties this year, the Lyon and musselburgh. Now in process of using them in stews, stuffing and in burgers yummy