leek reholing/transplanting

[bretty666]

hi all, another novice question here
my leeks need thinning out now as i sowed directly outside and i have quite a good crop but a bit of overcrowding,, i am up to speed on the whole earthing up technique but i have an idea and i dont know if it will work or not, when people transplant their leeks outside they use a pencil and dib a hole then plonk their leek in, well mine are a bit thicker than a pencil, can i use a thicker stick , if so what is the maximum depth i can go, bearing in mind i want the hole to act as the earthing up process too if this is viable?? thank you

[Bill HH]

I use my hand fork handle which must be an inch and a half thick, a pencil seems far too small. The general idea is to dib a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and pop the leek in, some people trim the roots so it goes further down. You then water (called puddling in) and the water washes the soil into the hole thus bedding the roots in. After a few watering the hole dissapears. i dont anticipate any further earthing up.

Bill

[bretty666]

thank you bill, that is the answer i was hoping for, i will be using a broom handle , i didnt want to say in the original post for fear of sounding extreme, but a fork handle, fair play , have you done leeks before? do you get a good crop with a good stem part, oh yeh, im that techinacal "stem part!"

[rustylady]

Actually, I've got a quicker way than that.

Was a bit pushed for time so I just made a slit trench with my trusty spade and popped the leeks into that. Watered well and they are looking good.

[bretty666]

my good wifey did suggest that rustylady but i think with the stick metod i can find spaces that are empty and fill them more ,,,,,,,,precisely? im a builder, i like stuff neat and set square, i might even use a hammer to besh my broomstick in?

[veggiechicken]

A broken spade or fork handle make s good dibber, if you sharpen it to a point.
I use a really lazy method, I don't plant out individual leeks but in little clusters as they come out of the modules. The theory is that they'll push each other apart as they grow and I'll dig up a cluster at a time when I need them!

[zazen999]

You can use whatever you like, broom handle, old fork handle, bulb planter, dig a slit. It doesn't really matter.

[Bill HH]

Ah well if you had told me you are a builder I would suggest you adapt a nail gun and fire them into the ground. Its a pity you arent a plumber because they specialise in leeks do they not. Yes I have grown them before. I love l em. Best of luck.

[bretty666]

had a leek under the kitchen sink today bill, this was in the morning then once i had done thinning out the leeks in the evening i had a handfull of tiddly ones that i dont know what to do with, maybe give them away or find more space tomorrow, so i wrapped them in newspaper took them to the sink then soaked them, i sat down and my mother in law shouts "oh no ! theres a leek in the sink " so i was all like , oh no! not again, then i clicked, but your joke made me laught when i read i

[leonmc0708]

also - rake some soil onto the row from either side to "bleach" the main stem and get more sweet white shaft to the thing - good tip that from old man by my plot.

[bretty666]

i did it! i have over 200 leeks though? i didnt know i had that many?