Move mature Leeks ?

Is it possible to move/replant semi mature leeks (been in the ground over winter and about one inch thick, or even shore them up like potatoes ?

Reason, I have a raised bed and just filled it up, but I have this row of leeks at the end of it, so can I whip them out and replant, or shore them up

Regards Jack

 

Couldn't you just make a big leek pie?

 

I moved ours yesterday Jack in order to allow me to prepare the tattie bed. I 've often done it and found they'll keep fine for a few weeks. They were looking a bit droopy this morning but I gave them a good watering so I think they'll be fine though as John says it may make them more liable to bolt.

 

Thanks for the replies, I will give them a go at moving, Nothing really lost, use some in my soup. and anything that continues will be a bonus,
I can get on with my raised bed now

Regards Jack McH

 

Just heel them in for short-term storage and convert to Pie / Soup.

You could re-plant one to two in an ornamental bed, they look nice when they flower. You could save-seed too (probably best not to do that if they are an F1 variety)

 

Extracting leek seeds from the heads is a PITA. I tried it once and decided it's just not worth all the time and effort when you can get 3 packets of Musselburgh from Wilkos for £1.20. I forget the number of plants you need to let run to seed (10 - 20?) and you need to discard the first ones to flower or you'll be encouraging early running to seed characteristics, and moving them could prevent identification of this unwanted trait. You have to harvest then at just the right time after the seeds are fully formed and ripe, but before a prolonged period of heavy rain encourages sprouting in the seed heads or mould appears.

 

Blimey ... never knew that, thanks. Never done and now never want to have to do it!!

I buy pretty much all my seeds in the 50p-a-packet Autumn sale, and one packet lasts me 2 or 3 years ... plus I like the F1 that I have been growing recently (Carlton I think - although I gave some to @JWK and he said he saw no difference of Mussleburgh - so much be that Carlton can cope with the rubbish husbandry my plants get, whereas Mussleburgh responds well to being properly looked after!) ... so I'll continue buying Carlton F1 seed at 50p a pop

 

Hmmm ... I can't see ANYTHING on Real Seeds site about saving seed from Leeks - which seems odd as they have info on everything else I reckon ... I reckon that can only be 'coz its a PITA like you said

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

 

Leek flowers eventually seed themselves if you fail to intervene - which eliminates the PITA element.

 

'Inbreeding depression' is the term you need to Google to get the minimum number of plants to set seed to ensure healthy seeds.