Leeks

[shangrilyla]

Hiya,

This is my first time growing leeks...

I started them a few weeks ago inside and they all germinated fine... they're about 3 inches tall, in a fairly large tray of compost. But now they seem to have stalled. I've read that they should be transplated out into the final position when they're about as thick as a pencil but at this rate they don't seem like they'll ever get that big!

Anyone have any advice?

[FionaH]

Transplant them into bigger pots and leave to grow on

[Shadylane]

First year I grew them, when I planted them out they certainly weren't pencil thick but they still did just fine. Last year I put the whole lot out, as a clump, in a spare patch on the plot. They soon thickened up and were a decent size when I planted in final positions. It was a lot easier to dib them in too.

[Victoria26]

Patience hun. Its only been 3 weeks... are you growing them inside or have you put them outside already?

I grow mine in a pot and let them all bunch together til they get pencil thin then i take them out the pot, pull them apart and trim top and roots and into their final positions outside. Never failed yet! Good luck! x

[Kristen]

They won't like the heat, so best to harden them off by putting outside during the day, and bringing in at night, for a week, and then leave them out.

If they are very close together in the container you should prick them out - individual pots is a bit OTT to my way of thinking! but a large tray (polystyrene fish box, or similar, with holes in the bottom) would do well - about 1" apart. If you go down that route you should get pencil-thickness baby Leeks to plant out around June time.

If you got the rather more crowded "quite a few in a pot" route (which is what I do) then you'll be lucky if they get to much more than drinking-straw thickness. They probably won't make as fat a final Leek, but I think the skinnier ones are more tasty (i.e. not tough), but that's a matter of choice. Always very happy with mine and I have very few that are much thicker than an inch when harvested.

[Chef_uk]

Mine were sown on the 17th Feb. I transplanted 24 in to separate pots and left the remaining batch in the tray. There's no difference between the two and both seem to have stalled but that could be more to do with not noticing a couple of mm growth when they are already 6cm tall than when they first germinated. So i'm not too worried about them just yet. Both sets stand proud.

[Jono]

I wouldn't obsess too much about the pencil thick thing. Mine are really that thick, and leeks are one of the veg that always seem to do well on my plot.

Which reminds me, I've not even sown any yet. Must get a move on.