Leeks - Musselburgh

Thank's K, they don't seem to be getting much bigger in the last few weeks, the roots aren't coming out the bottom and they get enough heat and water. I was just thinking they may want more room.

That's why I was considering putting them all in a standard size bucket with more depth as a sort of nursery bed.

I tend to be quite a patient person, but these Leeks are testing me!

 

I did think that your tray was a bit shallow ... if you can be bothered to "prick out" and then "plant out" then I think that would be best.

I use a polystyrene fish box to grow mine in (so about 4" deep I would say), which is plenty enough room.

This is what mine look like when I tip the fish-box out for planting (sorry about the quality, its a frame from a video ...)


"Pencil Thickness" test

 

Very interesting, you've got me thinking now. Didn't realise the roots went straight down like that. If I used a few 4" plant pots I guess it would be pretty similar to what you've got there. I think the original compost must be pretty spent by now.

 

Sounds good. They'll do fine in less depth of compost for sure, but ideally "better to give them enough"

I wouldn't worry too much about that - you can work around that by giving them a liquid feed such as Miracle Gro (I do that anyway, even with my deeper compost, the compost is only going to provide nutrients for a month or so)

 

Repotted:

 

Those roots had obviously hit the bottom of the seed tray and gone round in circles ... they'll be much happier with the extra depth

 

Yes definately, should've checked properly really. Lesson learnt!

 

Well that's all the Leeks eaten from last year. When's the earliest I could grow on a windowsill? I bought some Leek 'Elefant' and on the packet it says Jan indoors, that's a bit early though I thought.

PS My pic's above reminded how good the summer was last year, can't wait!

 

I think that sowing too early may encourage bolting, so I don't rush to start.

Have you really finished all yours already? :( Ours last all winter

 

One thought: if you only have a small area for Leeks then maybe grow an F1 that produces fatter Leeks, then you won't need as many for a meal, and their harvest season will be longer. Dunno if that is sound advice though?

 

I must've only planted about 30 in total and the wife wanted them. I had no choice! haha. No rust or problems for me with Musselburgh, only one bolted and we ate in anyway.

Says here to sow indoors in Jan for Elefant: http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/Leek-Elefant.html

 

Ah, OK. We plant between 100 & 150. Musselburgh are definitely quite skinny compared to, say,
F1 Carlton (only other variety I have grown), so that might be an option. Seed is MUCH more expensive though - 40 seeds for £3.00 vs 350 seeds for £1.69

 

I found my Leeks to be quite short, the eatable bit anyway. I think that was due to starting them off in a seed tray so I wont be doing that again. I think, when it came to chopping them, that I was cutting too much of the green off. Towards the end I was peeling a few outer layers off to get more 'white' and to increase the length. I wonder if this is what they do in the supermarkets or they are planted a lot deeper then I do...

 

Ah, OK. When you plant them out you need to Dibber them in deeper. If you like, and they grow enough, you can also put a collar around them, later in the season, to "blanch" some of the top white (Loo rolls are a common collar of choice).

If you were cutting a lot of green off then the 50 you had would not have provided as many meals.

I grow mine in a polystyrene fish box. Its got perhaps 4" depth to it, I fill that with multi purpose compost and sow my seeds at about 1/2" to 1" spacing. That is a bit of a faff but then ensures that they grow with enough space. They grow in that tray until they are about pencil thickness, and then I plant them out, using a Dibber to make a hole about 6" deep, pop the leek plant in and then just fill the hole full of water, don't put soil in the hole (some will wash down when you water it, and with any rain; the "gap" of the hole provides space for the stem to expand).