Leeks

[Spuddie]

Hi all , this is my first post.

Leeks Don't like me. I grow them from March plant them in late June. Top and tail em pop them in a hole and water them in and come October they still look like spring onions.

This is my second year with an allotment ,last year I got them in too late and this year I believe I underestimated how thirsty they might be.
Can anyone recommend a variety that might be a bit more sympathetic toward my lack of skill for next year and maybe why you like them?

Thankyou

[skeggijon]

I don't know a thing about leeks I'm afraid, but I'd like to welcome you to the vine as our 60,000th member!

[Scarlet]

Hello Spuddie and welcome to the vine. Ive always thought my leeks were doing ok until I visited a fellow grapes allotment. His leeks are huge, his plot is 5mins from mine, same type of growing conditions etc. I've planted out some of his seedlings that he starts in a small growing patch on his plot, Hawthorns are always bigger. Personally I think you need to give them a bit of space to grow really thick. He gives his a lit more room and is keen with a hoe- no weeds in sight! Looking forward to the replies

[sparrow100]

I've got really good ones (Zermatt) this year, after not even chive thickness last year. I don't top and tail them, just puddle them into the bored holes which have a little fertiliser in the bottom. I stagger the rows too, so they have a little more space and grow under mesh to avoid leek moth. I also keep the bed weed-free. Hope this helps.

[arpoet]

Welcome from me too. I have never managed to grow good leeks, no matter how hard I try. But I cant grow good cauliflowers either.

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine.

The only time I have had good leeks is with the variety Musselburgh.

[Kristen]

My Leeks are usually fine. I sow them, painstakingly, in a polystyrene tray (the sort that fishmongers use) of multi purpose compost about 1/2" - 1" between the seeds. I read many people saying that they struggle to getting transplants that are "pencil thickness" (usually more like "biro refill thickness"!!) but since I started growing mine in a tray I have got them to pretty much pencil thickness. They have enough room to develop without being over crowded, and I can start the tray off in warmth, and water and feed it as appropriate for good growth.

I don't top-and-tail mine, but I have read a research paper that compared topping and tailing with not chopping them at all, and they found absolutely no difference, so whichever takes your preference (and, I think, if you have any difficulty getting the roots down into the planting hole then definitely trim the roots so the plants drop to the bottom of the dipped hole and get some soil around them when watered-in)


Seedlings


Tipped out of tray


Separated for planting (I dunk them vigorously in a bucket of water to free the roots from the compost)


Leek plants in early October (tried planting them through Mypex for the first time this year)

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Spuddie
I can't help with leeks because mine never get very thick I don't see them as failures though ever since I saw the price of Baby leeks in the supermarket.

[Scarlet]

That's brilliant Kristen. I've got a couple of those fish boxes, I'm gonna give my friend Hawthorns a run for his money

[Jay22]

Mine still look a lot like Kristins second and third photo...some are even smaller!

[Spuddie]

Hi all thank you for the welcome

Kristen and sparrow could I ask when you sow and transplant and what do you do about watering?

[Bill HH]

Kristen has it right (as he so often does) My leeks havent done as well as last years I have had several go to seed and they aint so big, I think I let them dry out a bit. But if you follow kristens advice i am sure you will be ok.
incidentaly i grew half of mine by dibbing and puddling in and the other half by dibbing in and then filling in the hole, I can detect no difference whatsoever. certainly no more soil in the leeks that i did not puddle in.

[Kristen]

could I ask when you sow and transplant and what do you do about watering?

Planned to sow mid March, actually sowed 20-April !!

Planted out 19-July; its normally 1st week, or so, of July that I plant out.

I dib holes and water in. I water for the next couple of weeks if the weather is dry, and probably not after that unless we get a prolonged dry spell (but heavy clay here, so usually some water in the soil even if we get a week or two of dry)

[Kristen]

I've got a couple of those fish boxes

I'm sure obvious, but just in case anyone reading this is new to it, the box needs some drainage holes in the bottom

[Jay-ell]

I don't top-and-tail mine, but I have read a research paper that compared topping and tailing with not chopping them at all, and they found absolutely no difference,

Kirsten, they look fabulous. On Beachgrove Garden earlier this year they said that the reason they topped and tailed was to make the leeks easier to handle and plant.