The Naming of Leeks

[veggiechicken]

Sown this lot today - as a start

8 types of leeks

Elefant
Giant Bulgarian
Jaune de Poitou
Lincoln
Musselburgh
Pennine F1
St Victor d'hiver
Iranian

A pinch of each in modules in the prop (as there's room at the moment and won't be next week - Fruits).

I did have a couple of others but the above were all past their Sow by dates so its germination test too.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Only difference I've noticed is short squat ( leaves almost all the way to the ground) or quite long ( leaves just on top, a bad impression of an anorexic pineapple )
All tast the same. To me anyway.

Can't help with name confusion, sorry.

So as ever not much help really

The short squat ones are known as pot leeks. The long ones are known as blanch leeks. In between ones are known as intermediate.

as for names, what's in a name? I still think that musselburgh for the kitchen take a lot of beating

[veggiechicken]

What sort are Musselburgh please, Ap?

[Aberdeenplotter]

lolol, none of the above. The descriptors are for leeks grown for exhibition. There is a class sometimes for leeks from the seed bed and Musselburgh and similar would fall into that.

[veggiechicken]

You just did it to confuse me even more, Ap.
Mine are Seedbed leeks (if I'm lucky).

[Small pumpkin]

The short squat ones are known as pot leeks. The long ones are known as blanch leeks. In between ones are known as intermediate.

as for names, what's in a name? I still think that musselburgh for the kitchen take a lot of beating

Thanks for that AP. I've heard these terms for leeks but never really understood .

[jackarmy]

I was devastated last season when the miners wrecked my harvest, will be trying very much harder to protect them this year.
Sorry no help VC, happy birthday again tho

[Snadger]

What sort are Musselburgh please, Ap?

I think they are known as pot leeks because they are good for the pot.

[veggiechicken]

Another duplicate name maybe?

Blue green winter (Tadorna) https://www.johnsons-seeds.com/Home_...l#.XDO7Tlz7RPY

I started by thinking that Tadorna and Tornado were the same (anagram). No proof of that yet!!

[veggiechicken]

RHS Trials report of a few varieties (they all look the same to me!)

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/planttrials/T...ing%202009.pdf

[Penellype]

I've grown 4 sorts of leeks this year and this is my verdict:

Musselburgh at my friend's - reliable but quite quickly becomes coarse/stringy. Winter hardy.
Lincoln (on the packet as Bulgaarse Reuzen Lincoln and sold as a summer leek) at allotment - very thin but nice and soft and quite tasty. Killed by the first frost.
Northern Lights (purple tinged leaves) at allotment. Nice fat leeks with a very slight purplish hue to the leaves if you use your imagination. Winter hardy and taste nice, one of them was just starting to form a flower bud last week.
Oarsman at allotment, previously at home - less substantial but much more white stem than Musselburgh or Northern Lights, quite a challenge to get it to grow to a decent size, but lovely soft white stems with a good flavour.

To me there are huge differences between these 4 varieties. Northern Lights is probably the best all-rounder of these 4.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Pene.

Northern Lights is the only one you grew that I don't have. Typical!!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Thanks for that AP. I've heard these terms for leeks but never really understood .

Sp, there are quite specific measurements all from the root plate to the fast button



In the pic the fast button is where the side leaves of the leek fuse together seen there at the top of the measuring guage.

From the rootplate to the button for a pot leek must not exceed 6"
From the rootplate to the button for an intermediate leek must exceed 6"but not exceed 14"
From the rootplate to the button for a blanch leek must exceed 14".

If you are not growing to show it doesn't matter of course

[veggiechicken]

Here we go again - more confusion.
This is the link I put up earlier for the St. Victor leeks

These look violetty https://www.semaille.com/poireau-dhi...166010629.html

This is D0bies offering for Northern Lights F1 (British bred).
https://www.dobies.co.uk/Garden/Vege...+F1_436375.htm

The photo is the same for both - and I mean exactly the same.
Who do we believe? Are they F1 or not?
I paid 95p for 300 seeds - Dobies are selling 50 seeds for £2.49.
T&M sell 45 seeds @£2.99 (same photo)

I do wish these companies would agree.

[Snadger]

…….…….and to confuse people even more it depends on which county you live in as to whether it is 3 pot leeks benched to a 5.5 inch tight button for show or two pot leeks benched to a 6 inch tight button. (I may have got that the wrong way round as its ages since I showed leeks.)