How's yer 'grass' leeks doing?

[zazen999]

Bit thick here, but I'm guessing the pips/grass grows at the soil end of the leek as opposed to the flower end...........Is it better than letting the flower head go to seed ?

Erm...no

Photo for you....

[Pies]

Bit thick here, but I'm guessing the pips/grass grows at the soil end of the leek as opposed to the flower end...........Is it better than letting the flower head go to seed ?

They grow at the flower end

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W19ZkFqGT-...Dhkt7_nvc/s200

If you let the flower go to seed the seeds are not clones of the original plant but a cross.Nothing wrong with that though but you cant be too sure what the plant will grow like

[binley100]

Wow..thankyou ........Something else for me to have a go at.........

[stella]

Can I buy a big stong leek now put it in a plant pot and grow grass, I have no idea what I am talking about have I got it right?!?

[zazen999]

You carefully remove them and plant each one.As each plant is a clone of the parent they will carry the same DNA

Rofl - I just bunged the head in a pot of compost, and threw some more over the top.

'Carefully remove' - that could be where you went wrong! Treat 'em mean...

[zazen999]

Can I buy a big stong leek now put it in a plant pot and grow grass, I have no idea what I am talking about have I got it right?!?

Nope. ish.

I shaved mine last year when the flower was in full bloom as the Snadgemeister did his and i like a challenge....and I got a head of leek grass.

If a leek grows it on it's own [I'd rather have the seed but sometimes that doesn't work out] then I plant the grass as it's free crops next spring/summer....We're just eating last year's leek grass as it's been growing all summer....

Re-read Pies' post about what you do.....it won't be until next year should you wish to shave your leek's heads. And don't do it to the first to flower, do it to the last ones as you don't want leeks that bolt early.

[Pies]

Rofl - I just bunged the head in a pot of compost, and threw some more over the top.

'Carefully remove' - that could be where you went wrong! Treat 'em mean...

I think its cos i let this years onions dry out in the green house,and they had boytris on them,still if they die they die Live and learn

[Snadger]

One thing I learned from the showmen is that when you take each individual plantlet off the leek head check the basal plate for any rot. If the grass is starting to root it should be white at the bottom and have no brown evident.
Apparently if you do plant grass with brown bottoms the leek will grow ok for a few months then all of a sudden rot from the inside.

So you need to make sure you've got a clean white bottom!

[Snadger]

Can I buy a big stong leek now put it in a plant pot and grow grass, I have no idea what I am talking about have I got it right?!?

I've just done exactly that from a discarded show leek. Strip back all the outer leaves and bung it into a pot full of old potting compost in the greenhouse. It may throw up a seed head eventually or it may rot!
If it rots all is not lost. Delve about in the brown mush at the base of the old leek and you may find a couple of ('Kingpods) These resemble shallots but they are lily white!
These are the leeks secondary means of setting seed if the leek rots. Plant the two king pods which will grow very quickly and run straight away to seed. Once you have the seedhead (well into next year) shave half of it at first then if you get no grass at least you've got seeds.
The grass will be a clone of the original leek, the seeds will be a new and varied breed.

[binley100]

Flippin 'eck them there leeks are certainly dead set on reproduction .......

[zazen999]

Leek Grass - for Snadger

Can't flippin search - so this might get merged another day....

Anyway

Snadge - how's yours doing?

Mine's about 18 inches tall and just starting to thicken up properly....none have bolted yet, and bearing in mind all of last year's have bolted, I have high hopes of a later/earlier harvest from these late summer....

If this works, then we could have a much longer leek season.

Will post photos later in the week if I remember - am a bit rushed for time this week!

Anyone else grow leeks from the grass from the shaved flowerheads?

[planetologist]

Sounds interesting. Would be useful. When did you sow these?
What do you mean by grass from the shaved flowerheads? Did you simply sow the seeds by crumbling ripe flowerheads directly into the soil, or are you talking about vegetative propagation?

[Snadger]

Sounds interesting. Would be useful. When did you sow these?
What do you mean by grass from the shaved flowerheads? Did you simply sow the seeds by crumbling ripe flowerheads directly into the soil, or are you talking about vegetative propagation?

Vegetative propagation planetologist. 'Grass' plantlets were started in October 2009!

[Snadger]

Can't flippin search - so this might get merged another day....

Anyway

Snadge - how's yours doing?

Mine's about 18 inches tall and just starting to thicken up properly....none have bolted yet, and bearing in mind all of last year's have bolted, I have high hopes of a later/earlier harvest from these late summer....

If this works, then we could have a much longer leek season.

Will post photos later in the week if I remember - am a bit rushed for time this week!

Anyone else grow leeks from the grass from the shaved flowerheads?

Still eating mine Zaz although I lost a lot of young plants when my greenhouse roof collapsed. As we all know, leeks are biennials and the strain I'm propagating appear to give me about 18 to 20 months from potting on before running to seed (planted in October).
An odd couple are bolting now.I'll only 'shave' the ones that are the biggest and give the longest growth period though.

*Wonders* Hows your permanent leek bed doing anyway, Zaz?

[splatcat]

im reading this with interest, as this is my first year for leeks... i take it if i allow the leek to flower for seeds, the leek is then no good for eating?