Feeding leeks

[rary]

Today I have planted out some leeks, before planting I had added some chicken pellets and worked them into the soil, but I was wondering what the best liquid feed for the would be, I have seaweed, nettles and comfrey steeping in tubs and of course I could also make a liquid feed using the chicken pellets, of those 4 w hat would you recommend as best feed to use

[ameno]

I think a balanced feed is best for alliums. Nitrogen is technically what will swell them the most (the swollen stems of leeks and the bulbs of onions are technically layers of leaves, after all), but too much nitrogen causes a lot of sappy growth which is very prone to fungal disease.
Personally, I wouldn't bother with a liquid feed, though. Too much effort. I would just give them some more chicken manure pellets around early August.

[Jungle Jane]

I’ve only ever used seaweed feed for leeks & maybe a bit of BFB if I remember,haven’t remembered yet. I’ve got a self sowed leek area from the flowers I’d grown,I don’t know whether to dig them up & separate or leave them to carry on,I’ve just used seaweed so far.

[rary]

JJ there are several bags of seaweed worked into the soil that the leeks are planted into as I add a lot of seaweed to my garden

[Jungle Jane]

The soil sounds very fertile how you’ve treated it,they should be happy with plain water for a couple of months,in July or August maybe sprinkle the chicken pellets around again or use any liquid feed?

[Snadger]

Grow em ard if they are for the pot. No watering, no more fertiliser, no more mollycuddling.

[rary]

An interesting view Snadger, from which I take it if I want exhibition quality leeks I should feed them but if for the pot let them grow with what's in the soil which will make them firmer, as for the watering I don't usually need to water but this year it has been exceptionally dry and as I am growing them on a raised bed sitting on concrete I think watering is something I really need to keep an eye on, do you also have that practice for onions?

[Snadger]

I

I think their is something to be said for growing most veg hard if you aren't exhibiting rary.

I usually grow organically but I was given a large bag of slow release fertiliser. Its roughly 28-3-15 which is a little bit more nitro than I would like, but when you get summat for nowt, you don't argue. The beauty of this is its controlled release by temperature only, not moisture and temperature as most long term stuff is. Fertilisers that rely on moisture only can all leech out if we have a heavy rain storm.This fertiliser gives a controlled feed for approximately 6 months of the year in the British climate.
I am experimenting this year but in the past have never watered onions or leeks once they were established. If you grow them 'no dig ' like I do and just keep hoe-ing the surface, this creates a 'dust mulch' with loads of moisture locked in beneath.

My plot looks barren where I have just planted courgettes through a cardbord and grass cuttings mulch. On cutting through the cardboard and taking out a small amount of soil I was really impressed how wet it was with worms in abundance I watered the courgettes in but will never need to water them again hopefully.