[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

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Think seeds were ready for harvesting sometime in August in the tunnel. I agree about Orchidea about being better for picking leaves, they look like red oyster shells! Will be saving seeds from Lusia outdoors this year, i need new seed but remembered yours didn’t come true last year!! Would like to save more than one variety but have read that they can cross a lot easier than lettuce.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hi Kate, I think Pete and Darren are probably right and you got some bad seed. I sow coriander later in the year and use about 10 seeds in a larger 4cm module to plant as a clump at 20cm. I use a variety called Santos which is slow bolting but have also used catering grade seed which grew ok but flowered quicker. Used to soak the seed overnight but don’t bother anymore as i found it didn’t really make any difference.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Just pulled my plants out yesterday. Made a slight mistake and only sowed the early variety instead of early and late. All the same it cropped very well and have been eating it for about 4 or 5 weeks with no frost damage. Did throw some enviromesh over it for our one week of winter. Sown June 7th and followed first batch of lettuce. Variety was tozers own. Anyone recomend a late variety for this year please?

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Not tried Orange Paruche, but did grow Golden Cherry from Tozers last year and they are my new favourite cherry Tomato. Amazing burst in your mouth flavour, which beats sungold and look great on the plate with Black Cherry. Got seeds from Plants of Distinction this year.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Thanks for the Flower sprout advice! Funny how you find yourself thinking months into the future when you are growing, planting spring lettuce and thinking about what will follow them. Big thank you as well for taking the interest and time to do the article in Grow It. Got a copy yesterday and it looked great! Thanks also to yourself and everyone who contributes to these forums. Always gives you something new to think about when picking salad leaves in a blizzard!
Robin
P.s Snow has gone here now!

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Half of my garden looks like it has snowed already with so much fleece down. Was going to take it off salads etc. last week because of the heat but think i’ll leave it put for the time being. Just about to plant seed grown onions and wondered if there is anything to be gained by covering with fleece also? Tried it with sets few years ago but seemed to make more bolt. Can’t blame the animals Charles, must feel like 5 star hotel for your rabbits!

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Great thanks Charles, Very nice looking plants too i think. When do they start and finish cropping? Are you picking for salad leaves from where the sprouts have already been picked off or using the whole flower sprout?

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hi Sue, Great to read your story, sounds like you have done a great job on your allotment. Having worked on so many different sites on allotments it never ceases to amaze me what you find underground and sounds like you certainly found plenty of treasure! I would always advise anyone taking on a new garden to dig the whole area over first before converting to no dig. You just never know what you will find. Took 4 large builders skips to get rid of all the rubbish on my last effort not to mention over 1000 bricks which have been reused for paths and hard standings.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

I tried using biodegradable clear bags when i first started selling leaves. Got them online from company called polybags. Minimum order was for a box of 1000 and more expensive than normal poly bags. At the time i wasn’t selling many bags a week and by the time i’d got a quarter of the way down the box they had all started to fall apart!
Maybe if you are only supplying friends you could try the resealable freezer type bags and ask for them back each week to be reused? I use 12×18 inch standard polybags for 500g of leaves with no labelling now.

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Our local council spray the pavements with Round Up. The people doing the spraying can only be described as wearing radiation suits with masks and gloves. I have never used it and never will!

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Thanks Charles, Thought something wasn’t quite right last year which is why i had the bag of J.Innes to hand. Started lettuce this year off in this and pricked out into W.R. That said i sowed beetroot, spinach and peas straight into W.R with good results- about to plant in next few days. Will do some more tests before i get on the phone to complain… I drove all the way to Halifax to collect the compost this year in good faith it would be ok!!

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hi Dazzerelli,

Why not invest into some enviromesh? Just needs to be laid over the top of plants and weighed down with stones, bricks or pegs. Those hungry birds wont be able to get through that. Useful for many more pests in summer, root fly etc and provides some insulation in winter. Lasts years. For tallest plants like P.S.B and Kale use string pulled through mesh wrapped around stones on the ground to stop it blowing off. Bit like you would with guide ropes on a tent.

Robin

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hi clive, got something wrong with my leeks too. Gradually got worst over winter. When first leaf is striped to clean them i can see brown tunnels down to base of plant with hard dark brown grub at the bottom of tunnel. More are leaning over and giving up each week. Has the time come to grow alliums undercover- hope not!?

[Rocket ScienceMember]

Hello Kate, Tozers used to be good for all those lettuce varieties but now they seem to have gone all large scale with minimum orders of 10,000 seeds etc. Try Plants of distinction for Mottistone or Claremont instead of Chartwell. Organic garden cataloge has some really good varieties of lettuce too. Robin

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