Leeks

[Bill HH]

I would think you will be eating them before winter kicks in, hell its only just may, you have at least six months growing time.

[buddy of maidstone]

I've only just sowed some more myself,and if this autumn winter is as mild as last year they should do very well indeed,my first lot of parsnips haven't shown at all,so putting more out this week sometime !!


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[Bill HH]

The other thing that leaps to mind is why don't you buy some plants, they are in garden centres now and as they are slow growing you could gain a couple of months for little cost.

[Kristen]

do I really need to trim leeks before planting out, if so whats the benefit?

Some time ago I read a scientific paper about a comparison of trimmed / not trimmed (as it is an argument that has reigned for centuries!)

There was absolutely no difference. Which is probably why each camp can, legitimately, claim that their way is the best way

So I reckon trimming the roots if they won't go down the hole easily (clearly don't want any roots sticking out and dying) but, personally, other than that my brain shouts at me that the plant needs root and leaves, so I don't trim them.

[Greenleaves]

Thank you everyone....I will stick with the natural look

[Bill HH]

Me too, I think is another of the many myths that have built up around gardening just because some one turned a vague assumption into sound advice.

[SammieB]

I have just bought some leek plants from the garden centre and am just wondering if I should be planting them out now or potting them on? They are spaced about 1cm apart in the tray and are nowhere near 'pencil thick' yet. Have never grown leeks before so would be grateful for any advice. (Hope it's ok for me to tag on to this thread)

[Bill HH]

If they are big enough to handle I would plant them out, the roots are quite long and being in a tray they travel sideways and get more and more tangled.

[SammieB]

Oh Ok, will do. Should I do anything to harden them off first?

[Bill HH]

Oh Ok, will do. Should I do anything to harden them off first?

Yes they will need a few days being taken in at night.

[SammieB]

OK. Thanks for the advice Bill.

[Jay22]

Can leeks be kept in the ground over winter? My neighbour gave me some a while ago but they are not big enough yet to use. If I can, I assume they will stop growing and start again in the spring?

[Kristen]

Can leeks be kept in the ground over winter? My neighbour gave me some a while ago but they are not big enough yet to use. If I can, I assume they will stop growing and start again in the spring?

No rush to harvest / eat them, they will be fine in the ground during the winter (although they will be hard to harvest in very cold weather when the ground is frozen).

Next Spring they will start to grow and flower, and won't be any good to eat then, so they need harvesting before then ...

... last year my dear wife, bless her, threw out my tray of Leeks mistaking them for something else ... and I bought some transplants on eBay very late in the season thinking that all-hope-was-lost. Actually they were fine, albeit somewhat on the skinny-side. It was a mild winter though, so that probably helped them continue growing, and up in Scotland yours may not fatten up as much. We don't start harvesting & eating ours until well into Autumn / early Winter anyway, as we see it as a Winter Veg, rather than a late Summer / Early Autumn one.

[WendyC]

Yes they are a winter crop. They will grow on for a while yet but come the Spring they will want to flower so I wouldn't hang around too long after the winter to use them. How small is small?


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[Jay22]

Thanks guys for the advice! How small? Some are about double the size of a large spring one with others a bit larger.

They don't look like 'proper' leeks yet, if that makes sense!