Leeks

[jacob]

They've bolted for the second year running.

(OK, actually, two have bolted, but the rest have that look about them.)

Sown late feb, been in containers outside since, maybe, early May. Planted out at pencil thick (yes, they grew to pencil thick!) after some rather tardy first earlies through early July.

I haven't obviously done anything very different to before the last couple of years, except to use long planters for the intermediate stage.

Any thoughts?

[AdamB1978]

Afraid I cant help as this is the first year which I've been growing veg....however given I was about to start a thread about my own leeks, I thought I'd intrude on yours and add it to this one!

I started my leeks in the greenhouse at end of March then planted out in late May. I think I planted them out too early based on what I've read about the how big they should be at that stage, however they're still not very big/wide at all. They're probably about 30 cms high...is this speed of growth right for leeks? Seems to be quite slow. ANy tips?!?!?

Thanks

Adam

[Bigmallly]

Jacob, lift any Leeks that have bolted before they become tough.

Adam, Leeks are a long term crop & take forever to grow so they will be fine.

[Penellype]

I've tried sowing leeks in January and February and find that most of them bolt in midsummer. Try sowing them a bit later.

[muddled]

You say they were in long planters for the intermediary stage?
Does that mean you've transplanted them twice?

I'm wondering if that could be your problem.
Might they be bolting because the shock of moving a second time triggers a survival response?

Pure guesswork by the way...no special knowledge at all. I sowed mine in a MFB and so far so good....transplanted 10 days ago and a bit thicker than pencil thickness.

[jacob]

Yes, leeks get yanked at the first sign of a flower...

I've sown in modules, then moved these on to larger containers before planting out. Variations on this have worked well in the past, but not last year or this year. I wonder if waiting for the first early potatoes to be done is actually slightly too later for the final planting out (that's the first half of July up here)?

Might try a later sowing, say, early March...?

[Penellype]

I sow mine in modules (rootrainers this year, which have done well) in early March, but I leave the direct sown ones until April. The ones in the rootrainers were planted out in mid June. They probably would have stood a little longer.

I'm not a leek expert and a lot of the ones I grow end up very small, which no doubt is partly due to them being grown in containers, too close together and in a very shady place.