Tips for growing leeks

[Johnboy]

Hi GHF,
I really do not regard planting out leeks as hard work. In fact I regard it as it the easy part of the job.
When I started growing leeks the nursery row was the method of production but we have moved on from then. Nursery rows inevitably means that too much handling causes damage to the young plants. It was this damage that gave rise to topping and tailing of the young plant prior to planting out. By using the module production method there is virtually no damage to the plants and therefore topping and tailing is no longer necessary. Should there be any damage to the foliage then the damaged leaves should be trimmed cutting back to sound leaf.
To me the preparation of the bed that will receive the leeks is where there is more hard work and even then it is not that hard.
You are of course free to grow your leeks as you so wish and any suggestion that I may make is purely in an endeavour to assist you which of course you are free to disregard.
Whichever method you choose may your crop be successful.
JB.

[Geoff]

I am intrigued by this modular method. The modules seem so shallow at 30mm. The pots I sow in are 125mm and the roots are to the bottom by the time I plant them out. How long before planting time do you sow? I only grow Leeks for Winter use so final plant them when I have cleared the First Early Potatoes but looking back through my diaries I don't seem to have a date for it.

[vivienz]

I've just started taking my late leeks that I grew under enviromesh as we get terrible infestations of leek moth down here on the south coast. The mesh is expensive, but I can report that it's still pristine after being subjected to everything the weather threw at it this last winter and, more to the point, not a hint of the disgusting leek moth anywhere. Thoroughly recommended.
Vivien

[Johnboy]

Hi Geoff,
The module trays I shall be using this year are not those I mentioned earlier they will be in 23mm x 23mm x 43mm x 216 as I have used all the other modules for something else having forgotten that I sold most of the others last year and only have 6 left now.
They do get module bound but do not suffer as they grow away very rapidly.
What dimension pot do you grow in to get 125mm depth?
JB.

[Geoff]

They are some great pots that I bought a case of quite a few years ago but they are getting less and I have never found a replacement. They were made by Glenco and are labelled 8.5 x 8.5 x 12.5 though the internal is really about 78mm, they are stiffish black plastic. I use them a lot in a season, currently about 140 have individual Sweet Pea plants in them, some have Dahlia cuttings and they come in again for all the Courgettes, Pumpkins and Squashes. I also use them for growing on shrub cuttings and any deep rooted or bulbous herbaceous that I grow from seed. I got them from LBS but they have never responded to an email enquiry about replacements.

[Fat Andy]

Thanks for the hints and tips folks. I'm giving leeks a go from seed this year for the first time too (I had a few off my neighbour last year) so I may have a go at the modular method too.

FA x

[Lurganspade]

One of the reasons we all garden is to enjoy ourselves.

I love sowing seeds, singulary or in batches, indoors or out, in pots or in the ground.
Then waiting impatiently for them to germinate, then pricking out, growing on and finally harvesting them!
I had two full days off work this week,which I spent most off in the GH sowing seeds. picking out some veggie seedlings and potting into bigger pots plants that had been overwintered in small ones.

It was very satisfying, no pressures, mind you I was not working too hard!

My pal workings in a small nursery, this week he said they potted up about 10 thousand geranium plants, that would do in the mean time he said. And he enjoyed doing it!

So get sowing your leek seeds and others and others as well, and enjoy the pleasure.

Cheers!¬

[Iain]

Such cheer! And from a lurgan spade of all things!