Leeks

[SpadelessAdeParticipant]

Dear Charles, I’ve got some early leeks grown singly in smallish modules, which they’ve nearly outgrown. What would you recommend as the next step please? I’m not sure whether to pot them on into something a bit bigger, or plant them in the ground? In previous years I’ve usually done them slightly differently and planted them in their final positions in June. Thanks for any suggestions you may have. Adrienne

[charlesModerator]

 If you are freee of rabbits (which adore small leek plants more than large ones) I would plant them out, indeed I planted a few such leeks yesterday. It is good weather for them to establish, before,  perhaps, it turns dry again.

The question for me is more to do with leek moth and I just don’t know if there may be an early flight in May; even if there were, the plants may resist more strongly if they can become established in soil now. I am not covering mine as all my mesh is on salads, but you could cover them with mesh.

[Pete BuddParticipant]

I`ve grown leeks for decades and for years I sowed them outside in April then transplanted good sized seedlings, (thick as a pencil), in June. However, recent (dry?) springs have caught me out and my transplants have been small, resulting in smaller leeks. I have tried sowing in trays and modules, sometimes potting on, with mixed results. I think indifferent potting compost has been the main problem there. My preferred method now is to sow them in good soil, with plenty of garden compost, in a cold frame, in a sunny sheltered spot, late March to mid April. I find that in a cold frame, with minimal attention, I can get decent sized transplants by June. Transplanting small seedlings doesn`t seem reliable here.

[SpadelessAdeParticipant]

Thanks Charles, I think I’ll plant them out now then as we haven’t have a problem with rabbits up to now (hope that’s not famous last words!) Should I plant them in their final positions, or put them somewhere with a view to planting them again later maybe at a great depth when they’re bigger?
Regarding leek moth, we don’t seem to have that particular problem here thankfully, but we do have the allium leaf miner, which is why I grow the early leeks and they are all lifted (and eaten) by the beginning of October. Any that are left after that seem to get attacked. But I do think I should be using mesh really, but I do find it a fiddle! Thanks again Charles.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hi Adrienne, I sow all my leeks in modules, about 8 seeds in each and then plant them as clumps in the tunnel at 20x20cm. These grow quickly and make really good sized plants that can then be dug out with a trowel, separated and set out to final position OR left in situ to be used as baby leeks when about finger thickness-my favourite way of eating leeks, roasted whole with fresh Thyme. Zermatt is a good variety to use for baby leeks. All my full size outdoor leeks got destroyed by Allium leaf minor last year too. Robin

[SpadelessAdeParticipant]

Thanks Rocketscience – sorry I hadn’t noticed your post on the leek topic. As I’ve grown mine singly in modules this time, I think I’ll plant them out close-ish together, sort of in clumps even though they’ve not been together in the modules, then separate them out later on and plant them deeper and at their final spacing when they’ve grown bigger.

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