[wasthiswise]

I know leek seed packets and the guide on this site suggests doing this in March, but I've usually found they always look small and weedy when planted out compared to others I see at our allotments. Just curious, if you grow leeks when do you sow the seed and is it worth sowing under glass in jan/feb? Thanks

[mumofstig]

I always do mine in March a la DD.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.msg312300#msg312300

works for me, but do give mine a liquid feed now and again, to fatten them up, cos modern composts don't seem to have many nutrients 

[Goosegirl]

I sow mine in pots using MPC in the greenhouse in early April (unless there is a current period of frost) then it's done a bit later. I grow Tornado and thin them out in bigger pots when they have a few leaves and water in with a little very dilute Maxicrop, then they get just a normal dilute Maxicrop watering in about a month. A fortnight before I put them out, they get another Maxicrop watering by which time they have a good pencil-sized thickness (they did last year anyway). I find later sowings of veg tend to catch up with earlier ones. You could try both to see what happens and all may depend on whether the variety is an early or late one.

[beesrus]

I guess much will depend on how early you want to start harvesting your leeks. I personally sow mine the end of this month indoors in a propagator to get quick reliable germination within a week. They then go to the cold greenhouse border for more light in mid February, under fleece for a bit early on if it's really really cold. They get fed a couple of times. They then get planted out in May. Following these timings means me covering them for the outdoor duration against leek moth. My much later leeks that I sow in May/June and plant out in August for the Winter don't suffer as much from moth.

[Enfield Glen]

I sow some at the end of Jan in the greenhouse so I have a row come competition time but the bulk are sown over the allotemnt in April and transplanted when I have the space. Iusually plant them on as the potatos get dug up.

[Growster...]

We sow a winter variety from Thompson and Morgan in mid-late March, and just use a seed tray to start them off.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/onion-and-leek-seeds/leek-blauwgroene-winter-bandit/46TM

Don't worry too much about the need for them to get to 'pencil thickness' before planting them out, a 'biro refill' is just fine as they get a chance to build up well over their best growing period in the summer, especially with a good weekly feed of liquid manure, and anything else you fancy for that matter!

They're outstanding, and crop from November to April easily, just when we need something from The Patch! I pulled one last week which weighed a pound and a quarter, and it was very fleshy with loads of flavour!

[sunshineband]

It is just as well that biro refill size does catch up, as that is usually what I have 

My main ones are sown around Mid-March but this year I am going to sow some of an early variety, much earlier to try to get some to a decent size by the end of August. This might seem odd, but I just want to see if I can actually manage this or whether 'early' just means skinny 

[Growster...]

Sunny, we grew some a few years ago, which must have been 'earlies' or 'a little laters', because they grew very well to start with, but didn't last the distance, and by spring, were pretty sad!

It was my fault, as they were the wrong sort, but back then, I didn't realise that some are better at winter than others!

It's all a bit seasonal really, as we just don't eat leeks until nearly winter...

;0)

[Kristen]

I always do mine in March a la DD.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.msg312300#msg312300

Me too, and since doing that I have had no trouble getting Pencil Size for transplanting.  I don't like to start too early in case it encourages bolting (no idea if it does ... just that I am worried that it might).

[wasthiswise]

Thats for the responses. I've never fed my leeks in the past, perhaps that was my problem. One year I did find they mostly bolted. Does anyone know what causes leeks to bolt?

[mumofstig]

Stress of any kind - too hot, too dry etc

[DD.]

And too soon.

Like Kristen, I tried sowing a few early one year and found the lot bolted. I'm sticking to March and the cat litter trays. (I assume Wiko still do the nice deep ones!).

[mumofstig]

I have a ragged collection of old square washing up bowls 

[DD.]

My, how your cats suffer - oh - you mean for the leeks!

[JayG]

Earl to mid March sowing for me too, in a deep ex supermarket meat container (everything has to be scaled down to grow on a garden scale.)

I sow them individually somewhere between 1/2 and 1" apart and they stay there until ready for planting out, hopefully immediately after the early spuds are harvested. They're in there for quite a while so do benefit from the occasional liquid feed, especially if they appear to be 'stuck' at biro refill size.

I have a few months to cogitate over whether I shall actually grow them this year given the arrival (with a vengeance) of the allium leaf miner last year - further investment in enviromesh would be required.