[theothermarg]

All my leeks bolted last year but one had an unusual flower, it hade green shoots on it !

I took it off and planted it in a pot upside down just to see what happened, it lived.
So a month ago I teased out the shoots and potted them up in the greenhouse so they now look like young leeks.
Has anyone here ever done this and did it result in good leeks or am I wasting time and space ?

[mumofstig]

The tiny leeks that form are called leek grass which is how a lot of the huge Exhibition leeks are grown

https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable-show/vegetative-propagation-blanch-leeks/

[theothermarg]

Ooo I might have more success this year then. Giving more room might help I do try to squeeze too much in
Thank you that's encouraging

[loam ranger]

Do not use the seed from leeks that have bolted as they will only go to seed  before they are of any use.
Geoff

[theothermarg]

Thanks for the warning, have also been warned that they would most certainly have the same disease which in this case was rust.
Thought perhaps the original bolted because I had crowded them in too much, something i tend to do despite trying not to.
shall still try a few but not waste too much room on them.  Have already sowed fresh seed.

[New shoot]

Thanks for the warning, have also been warned that they would most certainly have the same disease which in this case was rust

They will be genetically identical to the original plant, which is why show growers use this method to preserve their prize strains.  They might well be contaminated with rust spores.

[sunshineband]

Sounds interesting marg. I wonder why they grew leek-lings rather than a normal seed head?

[theothermarg]

Hi Sunny    I don't know all my leeks got swallowed up by my Dahlia's I grew them from seed and didn't expect them to get so big. I thought what a pretty unusual flower that's got and left it to it whereas I would usually take it off in hope that I would get some leek to eat.  I forgot about and was surprised to see they looked like little seedlings.
Shall put a few in well away from the fresh seeds I have sown.
Note to self  she who overcrowds often ends up with nothing to eat 

[sunshineband]

One of life's mysteries then, Marg 

I reckon your little seedlings should give you a head start and if they get rusted, at least you'll have some from seed coming along behind. We love leeks and try to extend the season as long as possible with various sorts

[rowbow]

When the seed head first flowers get some scissors and give it a haircut, then leave to carry on growing
when it regrows that's the grass when pulled off the head they are cloned baby leeks that can be used for the following season, pick out the biggest/best one to carry on growing through the winter to repeat the proses.
 

[theothermarg]

You never stop learning with  gardening do you