Leeks for beginners

[happyigloo]

Hey

Wonder if anyone can give me some newbie advice. Just planted some leek seeds today. Was told in the garden centre that I should cover the seed tray and keep in the dark until they shoot.

The packet says to put in a propergator. I got the seeds from another centre. Who do I go with the packet or the person?!

She gave me loads of advice and really new her stuff...

Also this is a really stupid one I've put a couple of seeds into each tray compartment. Should I have done just 1? I was so eager to put them in I couldn't help myself - they are the first plants I've actually planted bar some trees. The packet says sow thinly. I knew I would probably come here and ask later too.

The leeks are Musselburgh if that helps.

Need to think first!

Thanks

[Jandra]

Don't worry. I gather you've now soon in trays/modules? I'd keep those indoors until you see the leeks coming up (they need a temp of about 18 C to germinate). Put them really light as soon als the've come up (but not in burning sun). Then when they are about an inch high I'd start hardening them off (putting outside on mild days in a sheltered spot, getting them indoors at night). After doing that for a week or so they should be fine outside.

There's now law that says you can't grow leeks in small clumps, so it doesn't matter if you sowed a few seeds together in a pot. I've had pairs or trio's of them growing quite cosily together, though they stay smaller then. Also you can usually tease them apart before planting them out in their final growing spot.

Having said all this lik I know what I'm doing...I've only sown leeks once and I had bad luck with the slugs eating them... so most of mine didn't grow to adulthood''and I found myself in need of purchased pencil-sized leek plants to grow my winter fare.

Better luck to you,
Jandra

[happyigloo]

Thanks for getting back to me Jandra - very helpful advice.

Hope I have better luck with the old slugs. Being my first year growing not sure how bad they are round these parts...

Cheers

[Big Al]

Hey

Wonder if anyone can give me some newbie advice. Just planted some leek seeds today. Was told in the garden centre that I should cover the seed tray and keep in the dark until they shoot.

The packet says to put in a propergator. I got the seeds from another centre. Who do I go with the packet or the person?!

She gave me loads of advice and really new her stuff...

Also this is a really stupid one I've put a couple of seeds into each tray compartment. Should I have done just 1? I was so eager to put them in I couldn't help myself - they are the first plants I've actually planted bar some trees. The packet says sow thinly. I knew I would probably come here and ask later too.

The leeks are Musselburgh if that helps.

Need to think first!

Thanks

divin worry you are doing ok. I just chucked the full packet into an old photographic developing tray and left them on the windowsill in the kitchen. They are about 4 inches tall now so I should really start to get them outside more now. What i will need to do but it sounds like you have already done this is when they get to about the thickness of a pin head as opposed to the pin gently tease them up out of the soil and replant into modules 2 or 3 to a pot but trim the length of the roots by about a third.

when these get a lot thicker about the thickness of a biro refil then seperate them into individual plants and make a hole about 1 inch diamiter and 6 inches deep or so, in the soil where the final planting will be.
Then cut the roots by a third again as this encourages more roots and bushier roots then drop one plant into each hole. DO NOT FILL WITH SOIL but fill the hole with water and bobs your aunty wait many weeks and pull fine specimens. The depth of the hole blanches the leeks, hence the white part so I do it deeper holes to get longer white shafts but you can also earth the soil up around the leek to get the same thing.

HTH

(Not so) big Al

When they

[dave45]

I've grown leeks successfully for a couple of years... I planted seeds in rows in a tray, and germinated them inside on a windowsill. After they had grown to a few inches high I put them outside and forgot about them.... when they were about 6 inches high I planted them into position (probably april/may/june last year)....They are slow growers but the good thing about leeks is that they stay in the ground all winter and you just pick them as you need them.... I still have some left now! But they will start to go woody and send up flower stalks soon. I find them easy to grow and useful (glut-free) as you avoid having to pick them all at once.

[godfreyrob]

I have just pulled up the last of my leeks (sown this time last year). They made a lovely leek and potato soup! The smaller ones were in better condition than the thicker ones.

They are pretty tough cookies and if your soil is reasonably well drained, will survive very harsh weather. That said, if the soil is good they will not be as tough - the bigger they row the more susceptible to rot if the weather alternates between really cold and really wet.

[happyigloo]

Thanks again for all the advice. Will interesting to see how they go.

I was advised to trim the roots as well as the top of the leeks two. Might experiment a bit...

Thats something to look forward too in winter.

Cheers Guys

[Peggy Sue]

I had a Leek disaster last year, they were the size of spring onions until about Feb, were just strating to look a bit like baby leeks when the rabbits moved in and ate them all!!

When I mentioned my pathetic efforts to another allotment holder he said the exhibition growers start them in Autumn (loads of seeds in one pot, plastic bag on it over the radiator til it germinates then bag off, harden them slowly- careful not to heat shock, leave till they are pencil size and plant out) so trying that this year.

Hey Jandra, you mentioned burning sun, I know you are in NL but what do you think the UK is like in April???? If only

[Jandra]

Our sun is as strong (ha!) as yours, but indoors, on a south facing window sill, in a covered propagator I've seen temps of 40 C in early april. And that's in the shaded part of the propagator. So I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Speaking of sun... we've been having a spell of lovely weather over here. So onion sets and first early potatoes are in as of this week. Great feeling to have the garlic bulk out and needing to hurry to get the last of the leeks and curly kale out to make place for the new growing season.

Happy growing,
Jandra

[Millymollymandy]

I've sown my leeks direct into the soil as usual. Finally got through them all - well there are two left in the fridge but we'll eat them with a roast this weekend. Jandra I picked the last of my curly kale about 3 weeks ago and had 2.5 carrier bags full in the fridge - but managed to get through it all!

[Jandra]

2.5 carrier bags full in the fridge - but managed to get through it all!

Brave MMM!!!

Jandra

[Peggy Sue]

Oh I grew too much Kale this year, feel a bit like I'm not really looking forward to Kale again...bit like spinach the previous year, I still can't face that now!

[Millymollymandy]

Have a year off! I'm going to grow a couple of courgettes this year as I had a year off last year so feel that I can face them again!

[happyigloo]

Just a quick update. I have shoots!!! My first ever. No big deal in the scheme of things but I suppose the first time is supposed to be special!

Thanks again for the advice

[Millymollymandy]

Yippee!