Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: LivvyW on May 04, 2009, 19:00
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I sowed my leeks in deep trays, i had the last of two packets, Autumn Giant and Lancia. I hope to have some early and some late.
I sowed in deep trays as suggested in here and used all the seed i had.
I later worked out how many leeks i could fit in the bed (after my first earlies) I need around 100. The problem is that my seedlings are between a half inch and 1 inch apart, and i have roughly 100. If i thin them i won't have enough to fill my bed. (I can't grow enough leeks)
Will they be able to reach a decent size if i leave them as they are? What spacing should i be thinning to?
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You can go either way on thinning your leeks: 1) leave them as is and they'll keep growing slowly or 2) put the thinnings into pots which will grow a bit more than in the deep tray. This way none are wasted and they're ready when you are.
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Thanks Trillium,
I was trying to avoid potting on 100 leeks really. But i want good leeks.
If i had enough in the deep tray what spacing should i thin to?
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I have carefully sown mine 1in apart each way like this
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0 (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0)
If you do decide to thin yours just carefully lift the one(s) in the wrong place and pot on.
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I saw that post Mumofstig, so with a one inch spacing they can grow to 'pencilish' thickness?
I think your suggestion is my best option. Thanks
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Can I jump in this thread and ask if it is too late to sow more leek seeds?
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The pkts usually say to sow by end of april, so you'd only be a few days late and they have got all year to catch up :lol: So go for it :)
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Actually, you can keep sowing leek seeds every few weeks until July. this will give you slender and tender leeks on a long term basis rather than fat, tougher leeks you must wait for ages to eat. The French use this method all season as they detest thick tough leeks.
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Actually, you can keep sowing leek seeds every few weeks until July. this will give you slender and tender leeks on a long term basis rather than fat, tougher leeks you must wait for ages to eat. The French use this method all season as they detest thick tough leeks.
When I first satrted growing leeks, I thought the bigger the better, buying special seed, heating my greenhouse from early in the year, etc., but these days I do things differentley:
So I save seeds from my leeks:
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w264/DavidsWine/leekseeds.jpg)
which are rather difficult to winnow, but cheap and I now sow much more and much later, in open ground (so it's not the problem it would be with all that debris in seed trays going mouldy) and transplant them into dibbed holes in clumps (everything to keep the size down!):
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w264/DavidsWine/leekclumps.jpg)
and I end up with long, slender, tender (higher value)leeks like this (dug today):
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w264/DavidsWine/leekssmall.jpg)
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Mine are still like green hairs ??? Everything else grew like mad over the weekend but not the leeks :(
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i put mine back in the polytunnel on sunday and they look as if they sighed with relief.... i'm sure it's this funny weather, one day hot and day cold.At least the tunnel evens it out a bit...as long as i remember to open it on the hot days. OOOps :wacko:
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I'm sure with 1in spacing the seedlings should grow plenty big enough for planting out.
Trouble is nutrients can get leached out of compost in 6 weeks so you may need to liquid feed to keep them growing.
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We have a large cloche (called the polytunnel by those who know no better hahahahaa) and I have put net across the open ends to help control the temperature during the day, and keep the foxes out ::) Seems to help if I am not around to open it all up properly
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http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0
No thinning.
No transplanting, (until final positions).