Transplanting Leeks - Home > Allotment

[Farmer_Gyles]

I sowed my leeks in buckets at home, 8 per bucket - they're doing well, ready to plant out - I'll be planting them out on the allotment

Rather than lugging loads of buckets to the allotment, I want to pull up the leeks here and take them to the allotment - and because of the heat, will be handy to pull them up tonight and get to the allotment first thing in the morning

If I pull the leeks up tonight, will they be ok for planting out tomorrow? Should I stand them in water overnight? Should I trim the roots and leaves first? (I always trim roots and leaves on some leeks, not on others, no noticable difference when they grow)

I've got about 80 leeks ....

[arpoet]

I would get up 15 mins earlier, pull the leeks and wrap em in wet newspaper in a carrier bag. I would also get the holes ready down the lottie today to save time. water them in well.

[Greenleaves]

I would get up 15 mins earlier, pull the leeks and wrap em in wet newspaper in a carrier bag. I would also get the holes ready down the lottie today to save time. water them in well.

Exactly the method I use....

[Farmer_Gyles]

hmmm ...... time in the morning is an issue .... need to get there, do what i've got to do, get back for job interview ... madness!

think i'll have to prep the ground / holes tomorrow, possibly put a gazebo frame and netting up for brassicas, and do the planting friday morning instead .....

if it wasn't so hot, it would be soooo much easier! did a couple of hours there this morning then had to stop cos of the heat ....

[Greenleaves]

You can lift them the night before, wrap them in newspaper put that inside a plastic bag and soak well. Will bé fine the next day

[Farmer_Gyles]

What about trimming roots / leaves if lifting them the night before?? Do I? Don't I?

[Greenleaves]

I dont trim unless the roots wont go in the holes, never touch the leaves

[teakdesk]

I dont trim unless the roots wont go in the holes, never touch the leaves

Well I gave your post a like but in reality I do trim leaves that seem yellow or floppy or long... if they are too long they can be floppy and easy for foxes or birds or other visitors to pull out!

Trim roots so the plants sit well in their holes and it encourages quick settling in but if they sit well without trimming then don't bother.

[Noosner]

Oh, lovely leeks... why are mine still only cocktail-stick thin, despite having planted them months ago? It always happens. Sorry to co-opt your leek thread FG.

[Greenleaves]

A lot of us suffer with little leeks Noosner ( Bill HH behave yourself) but once mine are about 3" high, I put them in individual pots, seems to work for me

[teakdesk]

Oh, lovely leeks... why are mine still only cocktail-stick thin, despite having planted them months ago? It always happens. Sorry to co-opt your leek thread FG.

I suffered the same but have found that transplanting, very roughly, works for me.

I sow in pots in a lump (sort of spread out a bit more than that sounds), then move to trays and then to 4 inch deep boxes. They do better being placed in full sun but with wind. The windy position, I think, helps the stems to firm and grow.

When I transplant I just (deliberately) pull them apart and push them into new compost.



However, I have had very many successful crops from leeks that looked like a blade of grass at the time of final planting, as I suspect you have!

[Small pumpkin]

hmmm ...... time in the morning is an issue .... need to get there, do what i've got to do, get back for job interview ... madness!


if it wasn't so hot, it would be soooo much easier! did a couple of hours there this morning then had to stop cos of the heat ....

Good luck with your interview go get 'em Farmer Gyles.
What's so hot ?! What heat? You've lost me
Can't give any advice on transplanting leeks. going on the comments already made, I transplant mine out to early. It seems to work for me I've never trimmed roots, I didn't know you could. I don't know very much really apart from it was very wet, windy & cold here yesterday.

[Farmer_Gyles]

What's so hot ?! What heat? You've lost me

Awwww ..... you're missing out on the heatwave!

I've never trimmed roots, I didn't know you could.

Yup .... 2 methods for transplanting ....
1 - trim roots back, but trim leaves as well
2 - don't trim roots or leaves
check on youtube for 'transplanting leeks' - videos there showing both methods - trimmed roots are easier to drop into holes
i seem to get similar results with either method

Oh, lovely leeks... why are mine still only cocktail-stick thin

i used to sow in clumps too, always like blades of grass .... i used to use shallow pots too .... never sowed direct as the weeds and grass always overtook them ....
now i sow about 8 to a morrisons flower bucket of compost (compost previously used in sacks of spuds etc) .... plenty of depth for roots, plenty of space to grow, they are all pencil thickness or more, easily ready for transplanting ....

[Noosner]

Thanks very much, everyone, for your advice and for describing your method, much appreciated.

I think I haven't been giving them enough space as I sow them in seeds trays and then four to a 4" pot.

It is kind of you to say I probably have good crops, teakdesk! I don't, not really. I do get some leeks but it usually takes about a year and they are still only about I cm thick even after all that time.

I will do it differently next year!

[Farmer_Gyles]

Don't worry Noosner - most of us have been there - we learn through experience ....