[DellDGM]

Hi guys - question - on our local ABC gardening show on the weekend the went to a catholic abbey garden, the nun was saying that she just cuts off her leeks and the then grow back the next season.  I was just wondering what everyone does with the leeks - I have been pulling thm out completely and then reseeding them the next season. what is every one else doing?

[Fenland Girl]

I'm sure someone who knows far more than me about this will be along soon, but I wonder if it could be because leeks are actually biennial - if you left them they would flower and seed in the second year. Haven't tried it myself!

[brucesgirl]

Well I grow mine to eat so I pull them up and take them home.Can't see the point of doing anything else.

[Selkie]

leeks are biennial; i left mine in the ground over winter and they flowered and then died -- they put on quite a good show, and the bees and other insects loved the flowers.

if you leave them in the ground like that the centre of the leek gets kind of thick and you lose all the layers so it's just like one thick stem with a couple of thin layers around it -- you wouldn't want to eat it!

[WG.]

Leeks will grow extra little 'uns from the base of the plant but to be honest, I wouldn't bother with them.  Leek seed is very cheap unless you have a fancy F1 variety.

If you do try to keep any such offsets from the parent plant then do lift them and move to fresh ground every year.

[DellDGM]

Thanks guys for the feed back.     As leek seed is hard to come by and the seedlings are costing me an arm and a leg I might give this cut off at the base thing a go.

[gobs]

Can send you plenty of leek seed Del, just yell.

On the other hand, the most of the goodness is in the green bit of them.

[WG.]

Can send you plenty of leek seed Del, just yell.

No you can't!  Nice offer but Aussie customs will be down on ya lke a ton of bricks.

[sawnee]

Theres a program on sky, think its called Border patrol (or something like that) about Aussie airport "customs".They are STRICT, cant even get a salad sandwich into the country incase the leaves or seeds are carrying something nasty. :shock:
Dont blame them either

[gobs]

Thanks, I shall not try to do that then. :roll:  :roll:

[muntjac]

i think .......... dont quote me on this ,,,,,  :roll:  but thompson and morgan ship to the states and other countries under licence ..

www.thompson-morgan.com

[WG.]

http://www.mrfothergills.com.au/search.aspx?txtsearch=leek&tb=a

500 leek seeds for about £1.50