I'm just about to plant my leek seedlings in the bed left empty by my early spuds. Do I need to add compost, liquid feed or similar beforehand?
I always think liquid feeds are a bit useless I prefer to top dress with a solid fertiliser, particularly if the weather is wet and the ground is wet.
In this case I would use a a basic fertilser such as Fish,blood & bone or growmore at the recommended rates.
Thanks TG.
we used chicken pellets in ours, they've shot up..mind you, they like the rain ;D
Hey Barnowl.
When did you sow your leek seeds? I wanted to sow some but I'm guessing now is not a good time.
GF
Hi Barnowl,
Glad I read your post as I thought I'd left it too late to plant my leeks out! Have got two pots of them at home, will make sure I get them in this weekend.
Cheers,
Rob ;)
I have to come clean: I forgot to sow leeks until 3 weeks ago - not many have come up and those aren't nearly ready for transplanting so, because they're about the only veg my daughter will eat, for the first time ever I've bought some in (huge blush) :-[
The nice people at http://www.organicplants.co.uk/ (http://www.organicplants.co.uk/) have some left over. They warned me they probably won't get very large.
Oh, I don't want show-winning whoppers - just ones I can eat. Hopefully I I get them in now I should get something edible...
Cheers,
Rob ;)
Mine went out late May and are coming along nicely. ;D ;D ;D
that's right, rub it in ........... ;)
Quote from: Barnowl on August 19, 2007, 18:10:24
I'm just about to plant my leek seedlings in the bed left empty by my early spuds. Do I need to add compost, liquid feed or similar beforehand?
Leeks like firm soil ... if it's still quite loose from the spuds ... stomp up and down the rows a bit to firm the soil before you dib in the holes :D ;)
Thanks Flowerlady. Didn't know that. I'll give it some welly.
I don't feel so lonely now with my two pots of leek seedlings not transplanted yet. I was going to put them in anyway as i quite like baby leeks.
Quote from: Kea on August 22, 2007, 11:17:30
I don't feel so lonely now with my two pots of leek seedlings not transplanted yet. I was going to put them in anyway as i quite like baby leeks.
Yes, that's what I'm telling everyone as well! :-[
Cheers,
Rob ;)
Quote from: robkb on August 22, 2007, 12:38:25
Quote from: Kea on August 22, 2007, 11:17:30
I don't feel so lonely now with my two pots of leek seedlings not transplanted yet. I was going to put them in anyway as i quite like baby leeks.
Yes, that's what I'm telling everyone as well! :-[
Cheers,
Rob ;)
ahem, that makes three of us ::) ;D
Well you know what they say "Three's a crowd"......so there's a crowd of us who haven't planted their leeks yet!
I haven't sorted it out today it's been blowing almost a gale and raining and it feels like November.
beautiful here in Saddleworth - I've never known leeks to be planted so late, are you going to over winter them as I don't know how big they'll get - I sow my last crop in May and over winter them until the early spring but they only tend to get about thick pencil size but they have a wonderful taste - I guess planting a really late crop now such as Blue Solaise might work to harvest next year
Mine are pencil size now so I'm hoping they'll grow a bit bigger when planted out.
Remember you can have Leeks almost year-round.
And I have often failed to get mine in before late July.
These went in 1 Jun 07
Are they all planted at the same time?
Looks a useful catalogue ....
Noooo!
I thought they had to be sown March- April (bear in mind I've only grown veg since spring'06)
Apologies for my oversimplfied reply.
Mostly, I believe that you're correct - I must check with Moles (whose calendar it is) as to their sowing times.
But, for instance, Sarah Raven offers Hannibal for sowing now.
it is always worth experimenting especially when the recommendation comes from someone who has already 'done it' - it is always down to when seeds are sown and now it is getting cooler I think it could be an idea to sow leeks now even though it is well outside of their usual sowing time (which usually finishes in May)
Most plants seed naturally in Autumn... but if you want to grow larger specimens to eat in Winter, eg Leeks or grow tender plants you have to sow March-May which is why Gardeners assume you can't sow later...
::)
But don't forget - It's impossible to kill leeks!
Even if they might not grow very big...
But if you grow them over two seasons pick them early enough because they will bolt in their second year.
Quote from: saddad on August 25, 2007, 09:32:45
Most plants seed naturally in Autumn... but if you want to grow larger specimens to eat in Winter, eg Leeks or grow tender plants you have to sow March-May which is why Gardeners assume you can't sow later...
::)
that may be but autumn harvesting leeks probably wouldn't want to seed until really late, possibly the next spring ready for a new years growth, if they go to seed earlier then that's not so good - but I'm going to try sowing some soon and I'll let you know how they go
I grow my leeks in two three batches, one April, one late May, one June, a short row of five different varieties. That way I get a staggered harvest, I can fill gaps where I've harvested or the plant has failed, and have some seedlings to put in spare areas such as where some of my blighted potatoes were harvested earlier than I anticipated.
This was the raised bed with leeks at different stages in late July...
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/24july2007027.jpg)
I've planted out some of the 'Jaune Gros De Poitou' from Thomas Etty seeds (supposed to grow up to 5'!) only a couple of weeks ago......not planned that late but the ground wasn't free until then.... :-\