[vegmandan]

A lot of the veg books suggest snipping off part of the roots and leaves when planting out your leeks to get a better crop.

I personally have never done this as I'm quite happy with mine consistently growing as big as I want them and personally wouldn't want them any bigger.

Does anyone else just plant them as they are like me in a 6 inch deep hole without snipping them, or can anyone explain how chopping bits off a plant can actually benefit it ?  :?

[dereklane]

I plant them as is, and my leeks are quite good (some are monsters, some not-so-much). My neighbour also does this (no snipping) and his leeks are consistently large and healthy looking (and tasting - he is also generous).

I've read about snipping, but not bothered ...

[richyrich7]

My own personal thoughts are that by snipping you break the apical dominance of the leaves, bit like pinching out sweet peas to make em bush, so a bushier leek would be thicker, the roots would benefit from snipping as this would cause the roots to branch more creating a larger surface area for it to absorb nutrients. Also snipping the leaves would initially reduce the transpiration rate of the plant so it would recover quicker from the transplant  shock/move.  

[iwantanallotment]

I conducted a little experiment regarding this with my leek seedlings.
Half I didn't touch, left as is & just repotted intact when bigger. The other half I trimmed - roots and stems - before re-potting.
Both sown same day, in same size pots, same compost etc.
The latter took off in leaps and bounds, and in fact went into the ground today, pencil thick. Trimmed again, beforehand.
Those I didn't trim are nowhere near ready yet, are still tall and spindly.

So my preference is to trim. And it's fun, too
 

[Bombers]

I trimmed mine too,but I've  another row's worth ready to go in, just in case! - Aunt Sally's wont touch mine this year!!!

[dereklane]

well, maybe I will try it next time...

[love-my-plot]

I trimmed some of  mine too (just did the roots) after reading about it. The trimmed ones are far thicker than the untrimmed so I'll be doing that from now on  

[vegmandan]

I only raised the question as I was wondering if I snipped the roots of my big onions before transplanting whether they would benefit too, since all the advice is to avoid root disturbance with onions, but they are still the same family as leeks and have almost identical looking roots?.

[gobs]

Well, as hinted, it's a bit of pruning, really. Pruning = initiating new growth.

I almost always did trim the roots a bit. Last year I did the whole works, thoroughly for the first time, was no impressive difference, but it was not a grand season to write about.  

Root disturbance, well I think it is actually minimised by trimming in a lot of cases, as and when - mostly - tearing is unavoidable, trimming is always better than tearing. Only times when you don't tear roots, is spot on root ball transplanting and degradable stuff.

Saying all that I forgot the most important thing about root trimming of leek transplants and that might be a good reason why doing the whole works did not make much difference.

You make  hole put  leek in and water, leek has big, long roots at this stage, if not trimmed, most likely to get bruised, broken and run around themselves squashed in hole, thereby hindering establishment and water, nutrient absorption.

[iwantanallotment]

I was wondering if I snipped the roots of my big onions before transplanting whether they would benefit

Could you try it out on a runt, vegmandan? Be interesting to know.
But plz don't hold me responsible if it goes pearshaped  

[vegmandan]

The trouble is I planted them all out a month ago.

I must try to remember to try it next year with an odd one.

[iwantanallotment]

try it next year with an odd one.

Hope ya get an odd one or two to experiment with next year then, vegmandan  
After all, these champion growers all got secrets they don't ever reveal.......so seems to me you've got to explore every avenue towards getting your 10lb+ onion. Who knows, maybe they trim roots?
Maybe they don't, too     But worth experimenting?

[Eristic]

I snip the roots as they object to going in the hole otherwise.

[Treehugger]

Just a thought - do you wash all the soil off the roots first so you can see what you're doing? :?

[Aunt Sally]

I trim mine, tops and bottoms !

Trimming the roots encourages new roots to form from the base and these get into the soil more easily that if left long and tangled and bunched in the bottom of the hole.  Trimming the tops cuts down transpiration while the roots are establishing.