Can my leeks survive the heavy frost?

[Annpan]

It has been below 0oC here for 6 days and nights (brrrr...) and last night we had a snow flurry too.

My psb and turnip (rutabaga /swede) look well and, in fact, rather strong considering. But my leeks not so much. Most of them are pencil thick (I obviously planted them too late) but I have a few which were almost ready for harvest... I don't have fleece to protect them, I do have a few cloches that I could scrape the snow off of but I don't think that would help much, considering continuous frost. Or will they survive if I just leave them be?

Any ideas?

[Odsox]

As far as I can remember from when I lived in a frosty place leeks survived perfectly OK.
The variety I always grow is Musselburgh, isn't that up your way somewhere Ann ?

[Annpan]

I think the variety I have is giant musselburgh (but they aren't growing very big... planted first batch on 1st Jan, they have yet to reach full size.

Yes, Musselburgh is about 60miles east of here but we are very high up and exposed, and on the edge of the clyde valley which has a micro climate all of it's own and Musselburgh is on the coast so not so much frost (is that right?)
My point is... even if the variety is from musselburgh they do have quite different growing conditions from us.... so don't be such a smarty pants mister

[Odsox]

but we are very high up and exposed

Sounds like it's you that needs the smarty pants young lady ... thermal lined ones at that.

I'm sure that leeks will withstand many degrees of frost along with all the other veggies specifically bred for the British Isles climate.
I nearly wrote "English" then

[pumpy]

Hi, Ann Pan. Like you, some of our leeks are no more than spring-onions. However they'll be o.k. in the frosty conditions. For the last two winters, we haven't started to harvest them, until after several frosts & they were fine.

[L 11OBS]

Your leeks will be fine, especially the mussleburgh. I sowed some early as an experiment a few weeks back and there are shooting up brilliantly under cover even in this weather

[Annpan]

Thanks every one (hope you don't think I was being too cheeky odsox )

So L 11OBS (cathcy name that is...lol) do you reckon it is time to get next years leeks going on the window ledge now then? I am planting 10x as much this year.... fresh leeks are yummy

[L 11OBS]

I was advised against it to be honest but gave it a go to see how they went.

Is it worthwhile?

Well that is to be seen as I will sow some late jan/early feb as per packet instructions and see if the head start was worth it. I have mine in a plastic mini growhouse so they don't get the full benefit of being in a greenhouse but they seem to be doing fine for now

[Odsox]

(hope you don't think I was being too cheeky odsox )

Good Lord no Ann, I'm far more thick skinned than that.

I sow my leeks about the middle of February in the greenhouse. When they are big enough to handle I prick them out in 6" flower pots ... about a dozen or so to a pot, that gives them plenty of soil depth to grow away nicely.
This year I planted them out in the garden mid May and they are now all about 2" thick.
I think if you plant them too early they will bolt before winter comes (unless you live in the snowy north )

[Millymollymandy]

I sow my leeks direct into the ground in April then in July I transplant them into their permanent positions when they are pencil thickness. Leeks are tough as old boots - after all they are a winter veg!

[Odsox]

I sow my leeks direct into the ground in April

I used to as well ... as well as all my brassicas, but I got fed up with slugs, earwigs, woodlice and vagaries of weather.
So now I sow just about everything under glass where I have at least a modicum of control and it gives them all a better start.
I also start runner beans in pots and next year for the first time I'm trying parsnips in loo roll tubes.
The only things I sow direct in the ground now are peas, b-beans, onions, beetroot and a few others.

[Millymollymandy]

I've found that leeks are one of the easiest crops to grow (for me). Yet I couldn't get hardly a single spring onion to germinate in my soil last year - and I tried many varieties from brand new packets!

[pumpy]

Hiya M, we've had really good leeks, the last two winters, but,like you, our spring onions haven't taken at all. (neither did the Celeriac). We have a chalky-loam type soil (pretty dead, really), how's yours?

[Millymollymandy]

Mine is sandy and free draining, neutral to slightly acid and has had lots of manure and compost added to it over the last 4 years. The first 2 years we were here I had no problems with spring onions germinating. This year I ended up growing them in window box type tubs and they germinated in bought potting compost or home made compost no probs - they didn't get very big but on reflection I probably should have fed them after a few months!

[gdb]

Dont forget that a lot of green crops look pretty poor in frost - but pick up again as soon as it reaches a few degress above freezing for a few days.

So long as you dont pick them when they are at their worst, leek should be ok. Even if you lose a few.