Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Aidy on February 13, 2018, 11:42
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I have for many a year used the DD method and on the whole its been very good and never had any problems.
I was going through me seed packets etc and read the back of my Leeks, it states "Once early sowings have germinated transplant into individual pots and grow on under glass until April before moving to a cold frame to harden off before planting out at 25-30cm (10-12in) apart in the row and 45cm (18in) between rows. Outdoor sowings once large enough to handle , carefully lift plants and transplant to the same spacings as above using a trowel or dibber, and water in".
Now the seed companys should know what is best for their plants and offer the best advice for success right?
Out of interest does anyone follow their advice on this and how have you found the results?
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I think they are assuming the seeds would be sown in a small container and the germinated seedlings would need pricking out. It they are sown a la DD they are regularly spaced so they won't need pricking out or potting on.
Or are they an exhibition variety? Medwyn's have been individually potting up leeks and onions over the last few weeks ;)
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I use small pots with MPC and just sprinkle the seeds on, cover with sieved MPC then water from the bottom. When they have 3-4 leaves and are past the crook stage, I remove them and dibble them individually into deeper pots (9 per pot). When I transplant them I trim the roots as they settle better in the hole but leave the leaves alone.
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I start them off in 6 or 8" pots/seed trays/cat litter trays (whatever I pick up first!) simply sprinkling the seed around and covering with compost like Goosegirl. They are then left until big enough to go into their final planting holes - tip out wash in a bucket of water, separate, trim roots and into the dibbed hole.
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I think they are assuming the seeds would be sown in a small container and the germinated seedlings would need pricking out. It they are sown a la DD they are regularly spaced so they won't need pricking out or potting on.
Or are they an exhibition variety? Medwyn's have been individually potting up leeks and onions over the last few weeks ;)
Nope normal kitchen Leeks.
This is the bit before the other bit :unsure:
"Early sowings can be made under glass at 14C . Sow the seed into pots or trays and cover the seed with a sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. For Outdoor sowings , sow the seed thinly, 1.5cm (1/2in) deep in drills 30cm (12in) apart in soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Water ground regularly, especially during dry periods."
So if as I used to before the DD method came to light, I would sown in a large pot, prick out the the best of the bunch to transplant.
might just prick out 6 or so and see if it will in anyway make the difference, doubt it but time on me hands and all that, just wondered if any actually follwed their advice!
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I'm going to try Charles Dowding's multi sowing method this year. Sow three seeds in each small module and plant out without faffing around with washing, trimming etc. plant at what seems right - probably 8" to 10 " between plants and the same between rows, and probably smaller than the usual "pencil thickness". Cover with fleece and hey presto - large spring onions (I hope not).
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I'm going to try Charles Dowding's multi sowing method this year. Sow three seeds in each small module and plant out without faffing around with washing, trimming etc. plant at what seems right - probably 8" to 10 " between plants and the same between rows, and probably smaller than the usual "pencil thickness". Cover with fleece and hey presto - large spring onions (I hope not).
I've used that method and got decent sized leeks. My main problem was rust - it was usually an issue anyway on the 'old' plot but was much worse with the clumps. Rust's not so much an issue on the 'new' plot (in fact last year I planted out 2 reserve clumps of about 20 leeks, each sown in 4" pots, and they were fine) so I may try again with a few this year.
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All seems very complicated. I simply fill a 10" pot with compost. 25 seeds spaced around in it. Into kitchen with clingfilm over until 'loops' appear on the surface. Clingfilm off. When plants are an 2 inches high into the cold frame to grow on until 8" tall and .25 inches thick.
Then seize dibber, make holes and plants onto the plot in final position.
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All seems very complicated. I simply fill a 10" pot with compost. 25 seeds spaced around in it. Into kitchen with clingfilm over until 'loops' appear on the surface. Clingfilm off. When plants are an 2 inches high into the cold frame to grow on until 8" tall and .25 inches thick.
Then seize dibber, make holes and plants onto the plot in final position.
That is, in fact, virtually a down-sized version of my method originally referred to:
DD.'s leek method (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0)
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As we only use winter leeks, I sow these around the second week in March, get them germinated indoors, then leave them in a frost-free greenhouse to get to biro-refill-size stage.
DD's method is a great way to bring them on and we have done this for several years now, but as we have so much space, I won't use that this year and plant about 150 - 200 directly into the soil.
I think feeding is then very important, so it's comfrey and nettle spray regularly, to increase the yield.
Other than that, they look after themselves. Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
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Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
I now have to net mine against allium leaf miner. :(
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Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
I now have to net mine against allium leaf miner. :(
Same, it's so depressing :(
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Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
I now have to net mine against allium leaf miner. :(
Touch wood - it hasn't reached us in Hull yet :)
Same, it's so depressing :(
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Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
I now have to net mine against allium leaf miner. :(
We have lost half a dozen veg to the layers splitting and looking a bit brown, but I don't think it's Allium Leaf Miner, as there are no signs of anything nasty, just this beige 'cut' down the length of the leek!
Like most veg susceptible to any disease - especially tomatoes - we tend to grow much more than we need. Any spares at the end get forced on neightbours and families...
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We have lost half a dozen veg to the layers splitting and looking a bit brown, but I don't think it's Allium Leaf Miner, as there are no signs of anything nasty, just this beige 'cut' down the length of the leek!
Some of ours are like that too Growster but only about 10 or 12 so far. We have had far bigger issues with bolting >:(
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Touch wood we don't get the moth or too much rust...
I now have to net mine against allium leaf miner. :(
Yes me too, so they get grown in a bed with the carrots & parsnips & last year got netted together after a bit of judicious sewing, but I think I’ll split it again this year so I can access each crop easier!
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I too put my leeks last year under the carrot enviromesh. Not sure if it was the greatest idea, as I had the worst year of bolting ever, probably 70%. Not sure if it was the crowded netting the leeks didn't like, or the dry couple of months. I thought I had watered them well enough. Maybe the seed ?
Am going to try a month or two later sowing this year to avoid some dry issues and then under their own net with plenty of room. I'm wondering if last year's net kept irritating the leeks.
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I too put my leeks last year under the carrot enviromesh. Not sure if it was the greatest idea, as I had the worst year of bolting ever, probably 70%. Not sure if it was the crowded netting the leeks didn't like, or the dry couple of months. I thought I had watered them well enough. Maybe the seed ?
Am going to try a month or two later sowing this year to avoid some dry issues and then under their own net with plenty of room. I'm wondering if last year's net kept irritating the leeks.
I think a lot of people had an issue with leeks bolting last year, so I would say it's probably not to do with the use of netting.