Growing Leeks

[HarryBerry]

What is the best way to do this?

I have tried planting some in a propagator and then transferring to bigger pots, however these look very weak, small and thin. I don't think they will make it. Anyone got any tips on how to grow them this way?

I have also tried planting them directly in a seed bed on my allotment. Do people think that this is likely to give me a better return?

[chris]

They don't really need a propagator now. Sow them on trays/in pots, and just forget about them for a while They'll bulk up in time, and when they're about the thickness of a pencil, you can transplant them into their final positions.

Seed bed/trays/pots - they'll all work the same (given the same growing conditions). Pots/trays might be easier to get them out of though.

[singleseeder]

Yup, leek seedlings look like grass for ages.................................. and then they begin to do something.

[Two_Sheds]

Zazen's the one for leeks: check out her threads

I do mine her way now: pinch of seed in a module, leave it there until roots grow out the bottom, then pot on into bigger pots until there's room on the lotty.
Then, plant out, still in little bunches of 3 or 4.

Harvesting: they don't get mammoth this way, just nice thumb-thick leeks. I slice them off below the soil instead of pulling them up. This way they regrow and I get another crop

[HarryBerry]

Many thanks for the info all

[Thelma Sanders]

I sow in a deep mushroom tray, each seed about an inch apart and leave them to grow on.
I then dib them out after my new potatoes are dug up.

[Florence Fennel]

I plant a sprinkling in trays. They require so little care that every bloomin' year I forget about them! This year is going to be different and I intend to get them to harvest. What's that I hear you say about the road to hell?

[Leeds_lad]

Zazen's the one for leeks: check out her threads

I do mine her way now: pinch of seed in a module, leave it there until roots grow out the bottom, then pot on into bigger pots until there's room on the lotty.
Then, plant out, still in little bunches of 3 or 4.

Harvesting: they don't get mammoth this way, just nice thumb-thick leeks. I slice them off below the soil instead of pulling them up. This way they regrow and I get another crop

I recently acquired a book called The RHS Encyclopaedia of Gardening and it describes this exact method of planting leeks =). Sow 4 to a module, leave until they are ready to transplant outside and simply put the entire module into the ground.

[A Year On The Plot]

I have to be honest, I just sow mine in a large round plant pot, keep the moist and leave them alone. In a few months they are ready to go and and I usually have loads to give away. I don't think they require any additional heat.

I also agree, they look like a pot of grass for weeks and weeks, but they usually come good in the end.

Richard

[Piggle]

mine are rubbish this year - I got kelvedon king from hsl and the germiation has been a bit pants so far.
There were some free in GYO the other month so I'm going to revert to plant them ( or cheat and get a pot full when I go on my annual pilgrimage to Reighton nurseries!)

[Potstubsdustbins]

Piggle I put those free seeds down on 29/02 in my cold green house first signs of green on the 18/03.

Colin

[Winged one]

I have my first pot of seeds growing happily - I sow a 4" pot reasonably thickly, and dib in the results once the spuds come up or I find other space.

But I like the idea of the modules, and thumb-sized results. I might try that with my second batch (I use a fair few leeks so it's one of the few things I really try to do a lot of!!)

[vegnut]

I sow mine in rootrainers, then drop them straight into the slightly deeper hole when its ready to plant out.

[bethduckie]

Mine are extremely slow germinating- three pots of the stuff and so far only one pot- planted last month- is showing a few lone grass like seedlings.

Am dibbing in lone ones and module ones this year as a kind of experiment

[Tripmeup]

I throw mine into either Rootrainers or modules and leave them to their own devices (as most people have already stated) until they are a decent size to transplant and/or I have room somewhere for them...