Bolting Leeks

[farmer john]

For the last 4-6 seasons I have bought pots of Mussleborough Giant leek seedlings from my local nursery in the spring. To plant out I make 4" deep holes 4" apart with a dibber, trim any straggly roots, drop the seedings individually into the holes and water in well. (the seedlings are about the diameter of a drinking straw). The plants grow away rapidly and I take care to ensure they do not suffer any stress from drought, etc, during the growing season.
Unfortunately every season the crop bolts and I am left with tough cored plants which are virtually useless in the kitchen. What I am I doing wrong? I do not have problems with bolting onion sets or other transplanted vegetables.

[Snadger]

Leeks are very easy to grow from seed. They are a Biennial so shouldn't really bolt for at least 12 momths. You have no idea how plants have been treat up until you buy them and sometimes it's whats done early in the leeks life that can result in bolting

Buy and grow your leeks from seed,read the packet for sowing instructions and if followed, you shouldn't have any problems with bolting!

[Wren]

Snadger is right, Leeks are very easy to grow from seed . This were my first year at growing leeks (F1 Pandora) and i am glad that i started them from seed so that i were in control of their environment from the off. Your leeks should really not even be thinking about bolting until the summer after next if they make it that far an you ain't eaten them all by then. I have been harvesting some wonderful tasty an tender leeks for a few weeks now.
It's not your leek husbandry because i trim the roots an the tops when i transplant then from pots until they eventually make it to the plot too. I feed them too, plus i make a seven inch hole with a dibber an pop them in that to blanch them up like yourself so I'm sure it's not something you are doing wrong. It must be either the varietal of leek you choose or the way your baby leeks are raised by the supplier that is causing the bolting problem.

Now is the time for sowing your leek seeds almost so why not give it a go eh! you get much more seeds an so more plants for less money and i bet you wont get the bolting problems either this time.

Go on...go for it, grow your own from seed

Wren

[hawthorns]

i grew mussleburgh from seed last yr and went to seed in the summer by bolting. how do explain that then

[vegnut]

Most plants set seed when they are stressed in some way and they feel the need to reproduce, to keep the strain going. It could be something as simple as hardening them off incorrectly. A quick in and out of the greenhouse or windowsill for a few days, or a really cold day/night during the hardening off period could do the damage, and that would have already told them to start producing a flower spike. Slow and gradual is the best way. Or leave sowing to April and sow them outside in a container close to the wall of the house. When they come through, they are hardened up already. This i do, and have no problems ever (touch wood). Good luck with 2009

[Matt.]

I have a similar question. Last year I sowed two pots of leek seed and never got round to transplanting them. I kept them watered through the summer but they only reached pencil size due to the size of the pot. Will these be any good to transplant this year? I don't mind starting again and have some fresh seed germinating already but I don't want to waste the space on a crop that won't work?

[Wren]

Maybe the mussleburgh verity is more prone to bolting than others. Have other grapes found Mussleburgh a bit keen to bolt too?

[zazen999]

I have a similar question. Last year I sowed two pots of leek seed and never got round to transplanting them. I kept them watered through the summer but they only reached pencil size due to the size of the pot. Will these be any good to transplant this year? I don't mind starting again and have some fresh seed germinating already but I don't want to waste the space on a crop that won't work?

Last year when? If it was later in the year i'd give it a shot - you can always pull them if they do bolt - or have them as smaller leeks a bit earlier. I sow regularly and plant out handfuls at a time, whilst holding back the others by planting together in a corner somewhere and putting into their final places later on. It means I get constant crops.

I found that alot of leeks bolted last year due I believe by the really warm short spring spurt then snow that we had - they all shot up their flower stems at once. This is just my belief - I may be totally wrong!

[Two_Sheds]

Unfortunately every season the crop bolts and I am left with tough cored plants which are virtually useless in the kitchen.

Freshly manured soil is not suitable, because leeks grown in very rich soil will be coarse and tough.

As to bolting, I don't know: my onions bolt, but not my leeks. Are they being sown too early? I sow mine in April, and transplant to their final positions in July.

[SarzWix]

I usually sow some in April, and some in May. I have some ready in Autumn and some for over-winter that way. I don't rate Musselburgh, sown alongside other varieties for 2 years, they have been second-best both years; some have bolted, most have got rust. I won't be using them at all this year

[butter fingers]

I have had leeks in my plot since september they are about half to three quarters grown, from plantlets.I have eaten a good half of them already as i like to think im a posh waitrose customer buying those pre- packed baby looks they sell.

[Snadger]

Maybe the mussleburgh verity is more prone to bolting than others. Have other grapes found Mussleburgh a bit keen to bolt too?

Just the opposite for me personally.......It doesn't seem to matter how harshly I treat them, I still usually finish up with a good crop. To me they are the tastiest leek also!

[cupcake]

I got a pack of musselburgh seeds in Wilko's for 50p, it just has to be worth a punt!

[zazen999]

Farmer John...where are you? If you pop your location into your profile it might help.

[realfood]

Musselburgh is the best variety on our plots in Glasgow, as it is the hardiest variety for the Winter. Some other so-called hardy varieties have already turned to mush this year. No problems in bolting for Musselburgh. I sow mine in February in boxes.