[Oilrigger]

Would appreciate some advice on LEEKS, please.

I grew EDISON leeks from seed Aug to October and (following instructions on this website), planted them out in fairly well manured soil when they were just a bit thinner than a pencil & about 20-25 cm long, in September.

Since then, they have done nothing! Not grown fatter or longer. They are still fresh with bright green leaves, but they are exactly the same size as when I transplanted them from the seed trays, 3 months ago!

They are on ground on which I grew rocket salad very succesfully during April to August.

We live near the coast & suffer from high winds & very sandy subsoil, but other veg (courgettes, for example) do well.......

What am I doing wrong? Will they ever recover- seems unlikely as we go into winter proper?  Any clever thoughts?

Thanks & best regards,

Oilrigger 

[Nobbie]

Looks like you sowed them too late. They need a long season and I usually sow mine in an unheated greenhouse in March. It's quite common to plant out in the space left by early potatoes in late June/July, but September seems far to late to put on any decent growth even with the very mild weather we've had. What was the advice you followed?

[Oilrigger]

Hi Nobbie,

Thanks for quick response.

I specifically bought this variety of leeks as I was advised by a friend that we would have an ongoing crop over the late autumn- early winter period. I thought with mild weather, we'd have had a bumper crop!

If you are planting out your leeks in June/July, I presume you've eaten all yours by end October, about the time I was hoping to start eating ours.

I'll take your advice & plant earlier in 2016.

Thanks/seasons greetings.

[sunshineband]

Hi Oilrigger

I can echo Nobbie's advice re sowing leeks early.Mine are usually in their deep tray by the end of February and there they stay until they are planted out when I dig up the first early potatoes. They get fed well in their tray, and I add Blood Fish & Bone to the soil when planted out, plus some chicken manure pellets and, around the end of August, some Epsom salts to strengthen their cell walls and boost flavour.

I grow early and late leeks, all sown at the same time, and the early ones are ready from mid September, and are finished late November, when the late ones are ready to eat. They stand hard weather and some years we still have some in the ground in March.

I hope that helps a bit.   

[syks grower]

I fully agree with the other posters.
If you want shop sized leeks you must sow earlier and transplant earlier.

BUT
If the weather is not too bad you should be able to harvest a crop of baby leeks in early spring.
Edison is recommended for baby leeks.

I often plant a row late to have as small baby leeks which are very tasty.
Don't be tempted to leave them to grow bigger or they will go to seed.

[Goosegirl]

I live by the coast and the high and salty winds don't seem to bother my leeks; however, my soil is very silty. I grow Tornado and find they crop very well over late Autumn into Winter and have a great taste. I sow mid-April in pots in my greenhouse and re-plant them nine to a 6" pot when they have gone past the "crook-leaf" stage. I also find giving them a little liquid feed just before transplanting and again after a month to help them thicken up ready for bedding-out in July.