Where have my leeks gone?

[darcyvuqua]

My wife planted out my leeks last week only to find that every single one has vanished!

They were sown indoors hardened off at home between the blow away and leaving outside planted out when they were pencil thick and out of 100 there's not one left the bed was slug pelleted and they were watered in exactly the same treatment my leeks last year received??


I'm baffled???

[lottie dolly]

sounds like it has 2 legs,sorry to hear this,have a look around other plots if you can,and see who has leeks in,

[darcyvuqua]

sounds like it has 2 legs,sorry to hear this,have a look around other plots if you can,and see who has leeks in,

I was thinking the same my wife has mentioned a few other things that are happening up there to!

It does not want to be otherwise I will be on a steakout even with my bad foot I will conceal myself in my old army gear and buy a powerful BB gun they will soon be sorry ha

[lottie dolly]

I know only to well how you feel,BUT,you must look after yourself as first priority,tell yourself that you have already gone through a lot,to only upset things again,

[darcyvuqua]

I'm only kidding it's still early enough to bang a few in and to be honest I never planted them out till the end of may last year now I've been looking back!

Also they were weak as my dog had knocked them all over and out of the pots.

On the plus side I (my wife) have potatoes and peas up blueberry is in flower as are the red currents chillies doing great as are the toms and the small bucket of carrots down two weeks ago are up not bad in all.

As long as I get enough produce to cover my plot rent this year I've won

[Alison]

Were these ones you'd already planted out this year? How on earth did you manage to get them to pencil thickness already - I know this doesn't help but mine are still like grass. Pulled up the last from the ones I sowed last year on Saturday though so that I could get the last of the tatties in (rather later than I meant to) so not all bad

[darcyvuqua]

Were these ones you'd already planted out this year? How on earth did you manage to get them to pencil thickness already - I know this doesn't help but mine are still like grass. Pulled up the last from the ones I sowed last year on Saturday though so that I could get the last of the tatties in (rather later than I meant to) so not all bad

I sowed in January and they were under lights

[Kristen]

I am reluctant to sow early in case it causes them to bolt ... but the exhibition growers must do that, so maybe I am being overly cautious ??

[kathyd]

I'm never sure whether to sow early middle or late either Kirsten, for everything, not just leeks! So I'm sowing a few of each this year, just to be on the safe side . I WILL have veg! And if the earlies go to seed that's fine, lots of veg have pretty flowers

[Kristen]

Personally we don't like Leeks to be early. We eat by the seasons (and freeze / eat out-of-season very little) and as such I want my Leeks for Winter, rather than late Summer.

[Alison]

Personally we don't like Leeks to be early. We eat by the seasons (and freeze / eat out-of-season very little) and as such I want my Leeks for Winter, rather than late Summer.

I prefer leeks in winter too although my MIL can't eat onions so I find leeks a useful substitute if cooking for her.

When I first started growing I was worried about the hungry gap but have never found it an issue. Think the polytunnel helps as I'm usually cropping calabrese, spring cabbage and salad stuffs in there during April which supplements the PSB, chard and asparagus outside which has followed on from the winter cabbage, leeks, kale, carrots etc. To be honest the mild winter this year means everything seems early and I seem to be harvesting as much as I do in summer. Unfortunately the weeds are also more advanced so not all good news!


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[Aberdeenplotter]

I am reluctant to sow early in case it causes them to bolt ... but the exhibition growers must do that, so maybe I am being overly cautious ??

Mine - grown from pips have been on the go since October . So long as you give them heat, light water and nutrients they will be fine. If they get stressed by extremes of temperature or shortage of water, they may not show it initially but they may indeed bolt later, normally shortly before a show