Leek seed germination.

[Kristen]

and when tipped out ready for planting:



plenty of root depth for the young plants. Separated ready for planting - they pass the "pencil thickness" test :

[Scoot]

I might just separate them when they get to a certain size and plant them deeper with a dibber. Save me on the earthing up.

I'll probably just plant them into a bigger pot to start with as your way looks easier actually.

How far apart do they need to be when planted (in their final position) single?

[Kristen]

9" each way, or 6"" apart with rows 12" apart. Further apart will give thicker leeks. I think they taste better if they are not so fat - you probably get the same finished-harvest-weight either way, so just a question of whether you prefer fat'uns or regular thickness ones.

[Scoot]

9" each way, or 6"" apart with rows 12" apart. Further apart will give thicker leeks. I think they taste better if they are not so fat - you probably get the same finished-harvest-weight either way, so just a question of whether you prefer fat'uns or regular thickness ones.

So 6" apart with 12" between rows. What's the 9" all about lol?

[Valleyman]

So 6" apart with 12" between rows. What's the 9" all about lol?

9" between leeks if grown in blocks.

6" if grown in rows, with 12" between rows.

Personally I have a leek patch, and stick them as far apart as possible. But given my restricted space it can often be 4-5" between leeks depending on how good I have been at thinning the seedlings down. My feeling is you either get lots of smaller ones, or fewer big ones and the yield is approximately the same. But at this spacing I always need to thin out again and eat early leeks (Not as nice as those left for the first frosts) otherwise rust because awful. At 4-5" spacings they don't have enough air flowing to keep it down.

[Scoot]

Seeds came today so planted 30 of them. Fingers crossed for them.

[.commander]

I always sow mine in mushroom tubs. They take about 2 weeks to come through. They are a lot further on now than this

Oh and I'm a dibber. Though last year I feel I planted too close together and didn't dib enough.

[Scoot]

Mine are in something of similar size to the above picture!

How deep have you got to "dib" when the leaks are big enough (same thickness as pencil?)

Is it up to where the leaves start?

[Kristen]

As deep as you can. If the leaves are only poking out a bit they will be fine. In practice I would think my dibber holes are about 9", although maybe I am being a bit optimistic and perhaps it is nearer 6"

[Kristen]

Here are my leeks just after planting. A fair bit is still above-ground



Joy Larkcom says 6"-8"

[Martin H]

I've never managed to get my leeks as big as Kristen's before planting them out, but I still drop them right to the bottom of a hole that is the size of my dibber (about 8 inches). All you can see initially is the tip of a leaf at the top of the hole, which of course has only been filled with water to settle in the seedling, not filled with soil.

It doesn't take them very long to grow up out of the hole.

[Kristen]

All you can see initially is the tip of a leaf at the top of the hole
It doesn't take them very long to grow up out of the hole.

That's good to know, thanks Its only since I've been growing Leeks in deep trays that I have got the magical pencil thickness, prior to that I could only manage biro-refill thickness! so I suppose back then mine were probably only just-poking-out of dibber holes. Memory not reliable enough to remember that far back though, sorry!

[Sharpy]

Hi Kristen.

I read somewhere that toilet roll tubes were good for starting off Leeks. Have you tried this method before ?

[Kristen]

Can't imagine doing them like that I'm afraid. Loo roll tubes (or newspaper pots) normally used for things that need to be planted out without root disturbance ... Leeks don't mine that. Raised in a pot would be hard to plant out deep, so that the step blanches, whereas grown in a "Nursery bed" (as was, in olden times, now a Cat Litter Tray or Fishmonger's polystyrene box ) makes it easy to lift and separate the plants for planting out in dibber'd holes.

[Sharpy]

Thanks for getting back and answering my question. Must have been another veg i was thinking of.

Also how deep is your "fishmonger's tray" ?