My leeks went into the allotment quite late last year. At the moment they look very healthy but they are very small. Will they get much bigger over the next couple of months or should I just eat them as baby leeks?
Duke :)
Most varieties still in the ground from last year will best be eaten as baby leeks as it is unlikely they will grow much if anymore.
My leeks often go in late - I usually do an early and late batch, and sometimes the late batch is later than I intend!
They actually make quite a bit of growth in March/April before bolting. Once they do start to get woody in the middle you can still eat them, but you need then to either pull the lot and eat or freeze them or let them seed.
I dug all mine up on the 10/3/11, mine were late going in and weren't massive, they were in my way and I feared them bolting as it starts to warm up, so out they came. :P
Mine have bulked up significantly over the last few weeks; I keep eating until I see the first flower head coming up.
Thanks for the advice:) I think I will pull them up and eat them as baby leeks. I will need the space that they are growing in in a month or so too:).
Duke
As leeks are a biennial, they bulk up more in the spring than the autumn - and then go to seed. So keep an eye on them and use them just before they bolt. (Even when they bolt, the outer bits can be used as soup.)
My next-door-neighbour used to transplant them if necessary!
But you've been eating them since October! I like leeks too, but who wants to eat them for six months? And who wants to eat leeks once the asparagus starts!!
I have about 8 that throw up seed heads each year; and as these are Heritage varieties and I originally selected them for their quality - I never have to buy leek seeds as these give me a shoebox full of seeds each year.
Oooh, what variety Aj... I'd like to try them... :)
Last year I used the largest first and the remaining 20 or so have been moved with the hope that they would grow on and I would have a constant supply of leek.
Guess I will have to give away and freeze as bolting is likely. Do they just go straight in the freezer?
Yep..just chop up and freeze.. ;)
"...who wants to eat them for six months? And who wants to eat leeks once the asparagus starts!!"
Me, I do! I slice them into every sort of casserole (at the last moment, for a fresh taste and bright colour), chop them finely (raw) into salads, as my Thai daughter-in-law does (also into spring rolls), add them to soups - they are endlessly useful and I never have enough. They add flavour and bulk and colour to all sorts of things.
I love asparagus, but will carry on using leeks to the last possible minute. I also save seed (mixed varieties, long forgotten the names) because it costs far too much to buy as many leek seeds as I need.
I also love the cream cheese in Germany which has finely chopped raw leeks in it, and sometimes do that myself.
Quote from: aj on March 30, 2011, 19:44:56
I have about 8 that throw up seed heads each year; and as these are Heritage varieties and I originally selected them for their quality - I never have to buy leek seeds as these give me a shoebox full of seeds each year.
How do you stop them crossing?
Quote from: saddad on March 30, 2011, 23:09:21
Oooh, what variety Aj... I'd like to try them... :)
Sorry - busy week - didn't see this
They are Bleu De Solaise.
Fantastic variety and bulk up nicely each spring. Yum.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 01, 2011, 16:51:38
Quote from: aj on March 30, 2011, 19:44:56
I have about 8 that throw up seed heads each year; and as these are Heritage varieties and I originally selected them for their quality - I never have to buy leek seeds as these give me a shoebox full of seeds each year.
How do you stop them crossing?
I only let one variety flower.
Quote from: aj on April 01, 2011, 17:22:05
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 01, 2011, 16:51:38
Quote from: aj on March 30, 2011, 19:44:56
I have about 8 that throw up seed heads each year; and as these are Heritage varieties and I originally selected them for their quality - I never have to buy leek seeds as these give me a shoebox full of seeds each year.
How do you stop them crossing?
I only let one variety flower.
What if other varieties are being grown close by ...how do you prevent cross pollination
Quote from: RSJK on April 01, 2011, 21:22:59
Quote from: aj on April 01, 2011, 17:22:05
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 01, 2011, 16:51:38
Quote from: aj on March 30, 2011, 19:44:56
I have about 8 that throw up seed heads each year; and as these are Heritage varieties and I originally selected them for their quality - I never have to buy leek seeds as these give me a shoebox full of seeds each year.
How do you stop them crossing?
I only let one variety flower.
What if other varieties are being grown close by ...how do you prevent cross pollination
Nobody else lets their leeks flower, only me.
If they did, and they cross pollinated - then they would still be leeks right? We'd just end up with a version of our own. I'd notice the next year and go back to the year before's seed and if the new variety wasn't any good, I'd dig them up and start fresh. I'd probably have a chat and see if we could both decide on growing the same variety - or ask them to try growing something else for seed and split our seed harvest each year.
There's other things to worry about than leeks cross pollinating. ::)
They're unlikely to cross unless the other leeks are very close. You can perfectly well plant different varieties next to each other and let them all flower. The result is a grex (mixture), and from that you can select over the generations to develop your own variety.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 02, 2011, 19:46:08
They're unlikely to cross unless the other leeks are very close. You can perfectly well plant different varieties next to each other and let them all flower. The result is a grex (mixture), and from that you can select over the generations to develop your own variety.
I know. It was you that asked me how I stopped them crossing!
Only you said you had several rare varieties, so I knew you were keeping them separate! I don't know quite how far apart they need to be, but I'd feel fairly confident about two varieties at opposite ends of the plot. I wouldn't try it with brassicas though, as honeybees are too fond of them, and they specialise in a single species.
Seems a lot of messing about to get some leeks without guaranties, when you can but what you want for a couple of quid.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 03, 2011, 19:47:46
Only you said you had several rare varieties, so I knew you were keeping them separate! I don't know quite how far apart they need to be, but I'd feel fairly confident about two varieties at opposite ends of the plot. I wouldn't try it with brassicas though, as honeybees are too fond of them, and they specialise in a single species.
Sorry - only one variety!
Quote from: davyw1 on April 06, 2011, 20:13:53
Seems a lot of messing about to get some leeks without guaranties, when you can but what you want for a couple of quid.
No messing. Just cut the flower heads off once a year, pop into a shoebox under the stairs for the winter.
You could say that about any seed saving...meanwhile I get a reliable variety that is attuned to my region that I use to swap with other people....when you start giving seeds away you get your investment back plenty. I'd estimate about £20-£30 quid of seeds comes back my way from swapped seeds each year at the very least.
What do you mean you just cut the flower head off once a year, the leek is in the ground growing for almost that amount of time then it can be almost as long again to get the seed.
Quote from: davyw1 on April 06, 2011, 22:09:22
What do you mean you just cut the flower head off once a year, the leek is in the ground growing for almost that amount of time then it can be almost as long again to get the seed.
This year's flowers will be the third lot from the same leeks. They are sat in my soft fruit bed permanently.
They were chosen for their late flowering and their bulking up ability and the variety for their taste and ability to stand the weather.
I just walk over to them in October, cut the heads off and put them in a shoe box.
Simples.
Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct
Quote from: davyw1 on April 07, 2011, 14:21:29
Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct
Correct.
Well, I do plant out fresh leeks for eating; but I selected about 8, dug them up and put them in my rasp bed, and use just those for seed saving each year.
Quote from: aj on April 07, 2011, 16:05:20
Quote from: davyw1 on April 07, 2011, 14:21:29
Excuse me for being a bit of a numbty about this.
You dont plant out fresh leeks each year and take a seed head from them, you just go and cut of a leek head from a previously grown leek that has already had a leek head cut off and then grown another, is that correct
Correct.
Well, I do plant out fresh leeks for eating; but I selected about 8, dug them up and put them in my rasp bed, and use just those for seed saving each year.
So you plant your leeks out round about April let them grow on then select a few transplant them and they have gone to seed by October of that year, am i getting there
Also how do you get a leek to give off more than one seed head i have only ever had one grow before the leek dies off.
Hope i am not boring you
All sounds very interesting and a new one on me, I didn't know leeks would grow following flowering, so I'm looking forward to trying this out. Aj, I have some of your leek seedlings which although small at the momment (sown Feb) they are growing strongly, germination was super.
Glad to hear it :D
I read that spending too much effort extracting the seeds from the dried flower heads sometimes cracked the seeds and reduced the germination rate....so I just leave them in the flowers now and haven't had a bad batch yet.