[Benandbill]

Anyone?

[Nobbie]

If you do a search, there's loads of threads with various views.

[devonbarmygardener]

I tried it last year and no detriment came to my leeks - they got very very leafy later on!

[Kleftiwallah]

When I grow leeks I cut back the leaves by 1/3rd and the roots by 1/2.

Cheers,   Tony.

[sarajane]

When I grow leeks I cut back the leaves by 1/3rd and the roots by 1/2.

Cheers,   Tony.

Same here but don't ask me why  ......  I've always done it.

[DD.]

Ah, the annual top and tail discussion!

For what it's worth, I do. The leeks drop straight to the bottom of the hole without bunching up and there's less transpiration loss. But I suppose the biggest reason is that it's the way my grandfather showed me to do it!

[devonbarmygardener]

Ah, the annual top and tail discussion!

For what it's worth, I do. The leeks drop straight to the bottom of the hole without bunching up and there's less transpiration loss. But I suppose the biggest reason is that it's the way my grandfather showed me to do it!

And it was DD's advice that made me try it last year

[Fairy Plotmother]

No one told me to top and tail.......so I don't!!!

[Annen]

I topped half of them and tailed all of them, as DD says it makes it easier to plant if you tail them, but I wasn't sure about topping them so only did half.  There wasn't any difference that I could see, between the topped and untopped, so I won't bother topping them this year unless they need it.

[fatcat1955]

never top and tail.

[Trillium]

There have been various gardening tests done on whether or not to top leeks and onions, and the results were all the same: it makes no difference.

Personally, I do top mine because by the time they get outside they're too floppy and can easily develop mold. By doing a light topping they stay upright and problem free.

[beesrus]

At least with leeks you can almost do anything with them when planting out. They're hardy little souls at this stage and trimming methods seem to be more a personal choice than anything.
What is more important these days is to cover them come the Summer when the leek moth arrives down this way. I certainly had to "top" half my leeks down to the ground when they arrived last year in the hot spell, and that obviously wasn't ideal. I won't be allowing that to happen again.
Mine are an Autumn mammoth this year for a change and they are the size of a house already. I can't remember why I bought them. Snowstar they are. I hope they taste alright as their cropping and growing qualities are almost too good to be true.

[Welsh Merf]

6"-8" hole - drop in leeks without cutting anything - fill with water - job done. Always done it that way and never failed.

[fatbelly]

I don't trim my Leeks and always get a crop I'm happy with.
I sow in cat litter trays the DD way then plant out in a hole 6 inches deep that has been dibbed but not back  filled with soil and then top up with water.

[AlaninCarlisle]

The elderly gent next door insists that topping and tailing them is the time-proven way. I can't think of a logical reason for doing this and so don't and my leeks always outperform his anyway