Planting Leek Seedlings

[Littlemouse]

Can I raise my head above the parapet yet and ask another question or should I don a tin hat and be prepared for incoming?

I took the good advice offered the other day and visited my local garden centre and bought a variety of veg for growing over winter/spring. I also spotted some leek seedlings and decided to try them too.

Just wanted to ask whether the following planting method is likely to work okay or have I misinterpreted /mixed up the several variations on planting options that I have read.

Bunging a cardboard tube in the ground to the required depth, then dropping a seedling in and then watering in the seedling.

[Newbie]

i don't bother with the cardboard tube, i just dibble a hole, drop the seedling in it & fill the hole with water. Don't fill the hole with soil as you would any other seedling.

But hey, i'm just a relative Newbie

[Scottishnewbie]

that's what i did (not the tube, just the hole) and mine grew fine last year and this so think it works fine....and less fiddly than the tube method. You can use the tubes for sweet peas instead!

[zazen999]

I've got a new method, for my thick clay.

I dig a wide hole with a bulb planter. Then dig a deeper not so wide hole with the same bulb planter. Then, add the soil inbetween the leeks, so that it falls back in it's own time.

I've put some in with cardboard tubes, but put the leek in first and just tucked the cardboard in the first inch or so, so that it keeps the light off the stem as it grows. This was before I discovered the bulb planter method.

[COMPOST CORNER]

I use a broom stale to make the hole, about 6"-8" deep, drop in the leek and water every day until the hole has filled with soil (about a week) but I put mine in in July so the daily watering may not be required now.

[Snadger]

Dibble 6 to 8 inch deep holes..........bung in plant (green side up!) Water in..........and thats it!

[zazen999]

That's why I used the bulb planter Snadger [oh guru, *bows]...with my thick clay I can't make 6-8 inch holes during this time of year....3-4 at most.

[Littlemouse]

Many thanks for all the input - I'll try without (well, maybe try a few with) and compost the rest of my cardboard tubes, been hoarding them for ages so have quite a collection.

Looking forward to getting on with things!

Once again, many thanks.