Leek - Musselburgh

[HayleyB]

Questions, questions - I know, sorry peeps but I've been here since 3am and it's now 7.08am according to my pooter and not the grapevine clock and I'm bored cause you're all asleep and it's still dark outside. And, I'm trying to boost my mood by thinking about my seeds......

Anyway, I use a lot of leaks in winter - comfort food - and they are quite expensive to buy so decided to grow them for next winter. I have Musselburgh seeds.

Do leeks get on with clay? Are they easy? Manure/no manure - I am assuming not unless told otherwise? Earthing up with clay will not be easy? Any other tips?

Thanks for listening......

[Snadger]

Leeks should be ok in clay! I never earth my musselburgh leeks up and still get a good length of white! Just dibble them in deep and they should be fine!

[kate&rob]

i have clay soil and mine grow ok, just hard work getting them out!

[SarzWix]

As Snadger says, no need to earth them up - start them off in a big pot, then when they get to a handle-able size, tip the whole pot out and tease them apart. Make holes by pushing something like an old spade handle or a broom handle into the soil (the depth of the hole will decide the length of the white bit, so don't be scared to make it deeeep!) then drop the leeks into the holes, and fill the holes with water (not soil!). Enough soil will wash down around the roots for them to grow and the leeks will gradually fill the hole as they grow.
Hope that all makes sense

[zazen999]

Leeks are great in clay, they help to break it up with their tough nut roots. Just get them in as deep as you can and leave them be until leek and potato soup is on the menu.

It's getting them out of frozen soil that's the hard bit...you just have to remember not to pull and to dig them out [I have a long sharp dibber that I push in all round the leeks and they slip out of the hole once the roots are severed].

[bluemoon]

I keep trying different leeks, but always going back to Musselburgh. We never earth up, garden on heavy clay and they always do well. Plant a few spares in an unused corner and leave them to flower in the second year. They make huge pom-pom like flowers in white, purple and just about every shade of lilac in-between and the bees just love them. Last year each flower had upwards of 20 bees on it, a fantastic way to attract pollinators to your plot (oh and they're a good flavoured variety too.)

[zazen999]

I agree, leek flowers are gorgeous and they give you more seeds for next year.

[Flummery]

I've never earthed up leeks either. And again, like Bluemoon, I return to Musselburgh. This is the only year I've had a thin, pathetic criop I lost me trusty dibber when we moved stuff from the old shed and had a new one built. I couldn't get a decent 'dib' with the trowel handle. Himself is the sort who won't buy another thing when the first is lost because 'it will turn up again'. I shall declare Independence this year and buy another. After all, I bought the first one!

[allotmentlady]

Our soil is clay and they grow fine. I am experimenting this year by growing them in a high raised bed as i lost a lot to flooding end of last year.

When they flower do they produce seed that is the same or a hybrid?

[moggssue]

Mine all got eaten before they really had a chance to get going last year - rabbits I presume. This year the fencing will be reinforced and I will try again. Any other tips for disuading the wildlife from nibbling?!

If you leave the flowers and use the seed next year, will the variety be the same?

[HayleyB]

Thanks for that I love leeks and was worried but now I'm not, it'll be leek central around here then

[lynda66]

sounds great ...... all i have to do now is get the damned things to grow in the first place ........ this year i have 4 different varieties ...... i'm gonna get leeks if it kills me .... (it probably will)

[gojiberry]

I always try and grow a variety of leeks each year to try and get a longer season. I have some can't remember variety but they are only finger thick and I am hoping they will fill out a bit March/April time so that I have leeks into May/June and then this years will be ready for harvesting by the end of Aug so only a couple of months leek free. At least thats the plan.


Ian

[Snadger]

I agree, leek flowers are gorgeous and they give you more seeds for next year.

Or pips,grass or pods! They all grow at the seedheads and are vegetative reproductions of the original..........so if you have a goodun......let it go to seed and harvest the grass or pips from the top and plant them out. They sometimes make pods at the roots similar to large garlic cloves.........if harvested and planted these will go straight to seed and help you keep the strain going!

[SarzWix]

Or pips,grass or pods! They all grow at the seedheads and are vegetative reproductions of the original..........so if you have a goodun......let it go to seed and harvest the grass or pips from the top and plant them out. They sometimes make pods at the roots similar to large garlic cloves.........if harvested and planted these will go straight to seed and help you keep the strain going!

I've got some leeks I want to propagate, trouble is, I need to move them from the bed they're in at the moment... Is that possible? If I dig them up with plenty of soil round the roots can I re-plant them somewhere else? I don't mind whether it's seed or pips or both, I just want more of them!