Planting out leeks

[rpt]

I have a module tray of leek seedlings outside and one line of seeds in the garden that I sowed a bit later. My plan had been to thin the seedlings to one per module and then plant these out when they got to pencil thickness. But I've been reading lots of threads on this forum and these suggest the modules are not deep enough for the leeks ever to get this thick. They are the same depth as a standard seed tray. Is that deep enough? Or should I plant the modules in the garden now and when they are bigger transplant them? Should I thin to one per module first?

For the line sown direct in the garden, can I just let these grow where they are or must these be transplanted? Will I ever get the blanched stem if I don't drop them in a 15cm hole?

I'm thinking that next year I will just thinly sow leek seeds in a deep pot in the cold frame and then these should get to pencil thickness and be directly transplanted into the garden. Does this sound right?

I've just checked a couple of websites (allotment.org.uk and rhs.org.uk) and they both recommend using module trays, thinning to one seedling each. So I'm not mad after all, but reading this forum has given me doubts.

Richard.

[rustylady]

It's fine to grow in modules and thin to one plant per module, but they will eventually need potting on or planting out.

And yes, you do need to transplant them deep in order to get a blanched stem.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i used to start them in modules, and they never ever ever reached pencil thickness
you will need to plant them out to get them to thicken up - and then you'll need to move them so they can thicken up to full size later - plant them at their current depth for now, a few inches apart is fine
thin out the line you've sown directly to a few inches apart too
all your leeks will need to be transplanted when they reach pencil thickness - this is when you drop them into the hole to get the blanched stem

i've started my leeks in 6-8in pots this year - hoping they'll thicken up nicely ....

[lottie dolly]

mine were started early in the year,sown in the deep colured mushroom stacker crates,they still thin things,but not to worry,as soon as the weather changes it's way's,everything will fly away,also some recommend chopping a bit of the roots and tops before planting,have done both,not much difference in growth,but easier for planting out,plenty of time yet,

[Thelma Sanders]

I'll dib the leeks in after my new spuds - they're also growing in deep mushroom trays at the mo.

BUT my leaks in the bucket are put on the compost heap to help it rot down

[rpt]

So is there any reason why you have to wait until they are pencil thick before planting out? If I thin my seedlings out to one per module then when they are a reasonable size (or when they appear to have filled the modules with roots) I can just dib them in. Does that sound reasonable?

If you trim the roots and leaves is it just with a pair of scissors? I've seen photos of that on the roots but never with the leaves.

[Shadylane]

I think it sounds reasonable. I think it's just easier to dib them in when they're pencil thick. My first year they were no where near cos they were were in loo rolls, but they did just fine. Nowadays I grow them all together in a plastic tub. Round about end of April I empty them all out and put them in the ground all together, no faffing about splitting them up. In about a months to two months time they'll be a lot thicker and then I'll dib them in. Though I'm tempted to try this no dib, trenching method that some are doing now.

[Farmer_Gyles]

So is there any reason why you have to wait until they are pencil thick before planting out? If I thin my seedlings out to one per module then when they are a reasonable size (or when they appear to have filled the modules with roots) I can just dib them in. Does that sound reasonable?

it's reasonable, but you're restricting their growth in the modules - the modules just aren't big enough or deep enough - the best you'll get is tiny leeks more like spring onions - they'll never fatten up to fill the hole you dibbed (unless you dib a thin hole)

If you trim the roots and leaves is it just with a pair of scissors? I've seen photos of that on the roots but never with the leaves.

yes, scissors is fine .... i saw it done a few years ago on tv, sure it was monty don, but can't find a video of anyone doing it .... have since seen monty don transplanting leeks without trimming ....

[Snadger]

I just planted 63 leeks out this week (9 rows od 7). They were pencil thickness or even bigger, but were set away last October as 'grass' from my own leek seed head. They were dibbled into freshly dug soil at least 8" deep. They were just grown on in a seed tray holding possibly a couple of hundred plants. The reason I decided to plant them out was that they were becoming rootbound and starting to go bulbous at the bottom.

[Currysniffa]

Imho seed trays and modules are not deep enough for leeks, I sow mine in polystyrene boxes.

[Two_Sheds]

I sow mine in modules, a pinch of seed to each; then plant out the whole module/clump without splitting them up

I don't trim the roots

I don't dib them in

They grow all close together into about 2cm thick stems (I don't like monster fat leeks), then I cut them off just below soil level. The leek regrows and I can get 2-3 cuts from the same plant

[rpt]

it's reasonable, but you're restricting their growth in the modules - the modules just aren't big enough or deep enough - the best you'll get is tiny leeks more like spring onions - they'll never fatten up to fill the hole you dibbed (unless you dib a thin hole).

I was thinking that I could plant them out before they would have got to pencil thickness (if they had been in a deeper pot) and so would have time to catch up with where they would have been. I hope that makes sense. Or would they never get tall enough to be dibbed into a deep enough hole?

[rustylady]

How many have you got in modules at the moment and how tall are the seedlings?

[Florence Fennel]

Time to do mine at the weekend. I've a couple of poly boxes like in Chris's photo, so I'll have a go at that. Never been successful with leeks so hopefully I'll get it right this time.

[Farmer_Gyles]

I was thinking that I could plant them out before they would have got to pencil thickness (if they had been in a deeper pot) and so would have time to catch up with where they would have been. I hope that makes sense.

you can do that if you want to - there are no rules, it's up to you how you grow your veggies!
what you do determines the results you get - some people want big thick leeks, others want small thin ones, so they sow / plant according to what they want to achieve
going from small modules to big fat leeks might work, it might not - try it and see - why not try multiple methods and see what happens?

Or would they never get tall enough to be dibbed into a deep enough hole?

dropping them into a hole is to blanch them - the hole also gives them room to swell up
you don't need to drop them into a hole to blanch them - you could wrap them in brown paper or plant in trenches and earth up - or you could just grow them on the surface and skip the blanching - there are probably self-blanching varieties of leeks that don't need holes or earthing up
the problem i find with planting out veggies when they're tiny is that the weeds soon overtake them - i'm a very busy person, don't have all day every day to keep on top of the weeding