The Importance of Holding Beds

This could apply to a number of plants but for the purposes of this article, its about Leeks.

Leeks need a long growing season, I usually make my first sowing indoors in January to annoy Kristen:WINK1: Followed by further sowings from Feb to March to extend the cropping season.

Now you wouldn't want to plant them out in their final growing position as soon as they were big enough as that would occupy a large amount of the plot for a long time. Land that could be producing something else in the meantime.

Thats where the "holding bed" comes into play, whether you've grown from seed or bought some trays in, it pays to get them in the ground somewhere.

Doesn't have to be a big space, this year I put mine in between the small saladings.



Anywhere, once they have been hardened off, just to let them get their roots into propper soil.



From the same sowing, the one on the left was in a holding bed, while the one on the right got left in a pot.

Note not only the size, but the difference in root growth.

You don't need to separate the roots or thin them out when putting into a holding bed, just slip them out of the tray and let them find the soil themselves.

That way, the only root disturbance comes when you transplant into the final growing position, less growth check.

Happy Leeking

 

I've been wondering what to do with my leeks next. Theyre thickening nicely in a pot as I dont have any ground to plant them in this year. Im wondering about this holding bed idea, if I can find somewhere but I only really have space between roses. Would this work or am I as well keeping them in deep pots?

 

Hope your leeks do well this year Ziggy.
I'm not sure what's happened to mine.
I never usually have a problem. I start them in pots Jan/feb and leave them there until they are big enough to plant out to final positions.
I think I might have been a bit previous this year with the planting out - had to get things done for a variety of reasons - and think I have lost about half of them. They were dropped into deep holes and I think the rain washed the soil in and smothered them
Oh well, I'll still have some.

 

Have I understood this correctly, you just lay the leeks on the soil and let their roots dig under on their own, as opposed to planting them?

 

i buy them and have never thought to grow them,might give them a whorl next yr now thanks x

 

Sorry Dave, I didn't explain that right, John picked up on it

Plant them in the soil, John was right, the picture was of me digging them out of the holding bed, to show the root growth:DOH:

 

I did wonder. I thought you'd found a radical new way of doing things. It was the picture, combined with the bit where you said "just slip them out of the tray and let them find the soil themselves" that made me think you'd invented a new super easy technique

 

Ahh, sorry Dave.

Mind you, just taking the tray off & putting them on the soil would be better than leaving them to get potbound.

My Aubergines in the greenhouse were putting roots out of the bottom of the pots. Being halfway thru the growing season (and aubergines being a bit delicate) rather than re pot them & possibly checking their growth, I filled the tray they were in with mushroom compost. That way the roots can still find more nutrients without stopping the plants.

 

Thanks for sharing this Ziggy, I'll be planting out my leeks tomorrow now as have been unsure what I should be doing

 

My pleasure Sascha.

If you haven't planted leeks out before, you dibble a hole with a thick stick, drop the leek in and then fill the hole with water so the soil settles round the roots.

Plant them fairly deep, soil the soil blanches the stem.

 

And if planting in during a drought, especially if you've got clay soil, pouring a drop of water at each location prior to dibbing helps in forming a hole (also helps prevent all the soil falling back in if planting into dry dusty soil).

 

Fantastic thanks for all these tips... I've been trying to read up on the net, then overload on all the information for each of the veggies I'm growing so end up forgetting whats what :/ haha!

Would the same theory apply for spring onions, have a fair few in pots that are looking great atm?

Cheers

 

Love this site for tips... thanks guys

 

Is it too late to start a batch of leeks do we think?