Leeks & onions

[WillyNelson]

Hello all, 1st post here... Leeks & onions

I've a polystyrene 'module' tray with about 60 odd baby leeks going reasonably well. They're only about 3mm thick but I feel as if I should be doing something with them by now, like getting them into the ground or transplanting them into a nursery bed. I also have a tray of onions, half white, half red. The whites are about 5mm thick and prolific and but the reds aren't doing so well in either respect.

What's the best thing to do with both the leeks and the onions? I have limited space on my plot at the mo as most of it is still being reclaimed from the brambles & weeds. I do have some space freed up from harvesting potatoes and could dig some more out if required.

What's the best way to trasplant & space them and how should I care for them over the summer/autumn/winter?

Thanks in advance

[bazzaboy]

hi WN, welcome from a big fan of your namesake. Your leeks should be fine for winter eating if planted out soon. For advice on best way of doing that it's probably easiest to Google "planting leeks" and read such detailed sites as
How to grow your Leek Vegetable.
or
BBC - Gardening - Basics - Growing leeks

Your onions could be more problematic as depends on variety but you can try planting them out and see how far you can get them before autumn. Varieties of "Japanese onions", with a bit of protection, will survive the winter so could then be cropped next Spring but standard varieties are unlikely to survive so better cropped small in the autumn (bit fiddly for the cook but better than nowt...) At the very least you'll have something approaching Spring Onions quite usable in various recipes. b.

[rustylady]

Ground cleared from potatoes is ideal for leeks. Get them in, mine are going in today or tomorrow - a bit later than I would have liked.

[WillyNelson]

Excellent links Bazza, thanks I guess I'll have to see how it goes with the onions.