[Firstyear]

Hi, I wondered how you all grow your leeks? I have a small space for them -1m sq. I don’t want whopper leeks, I prefer them smaller and like the flavour of baby leeks, but all the information I can find is on growing traditional big leeks. I don’t need the space for anything else so is there a reason I can’t sow direct and just thin? What kind of spacing would I go for if I’m aiming for something say an inch or so wide- my theory being that as I pick the smaller ones some will grow bigger toward the end of the season? I’m just confused over spacing! Help!! 😫

[mumofstig]

If you sow them direct, they won't get long white blanched stems - they'll just look like big spring onions. The method of sowing and growing on for a while in a pot, allows you to plant them deeper in a dibbed hole, which gives the length of white stem which most people are aiming for.

You can always plant them equidistant from each other, 7 ins in any direction, rather than in rows if you want to, though. This doesn't usually give big leeks....

[Goosegirl]

Like with a lot of veg if you plant them a bit closer than the recommended distance you will get smaller veg, so just reduce the spacings to fit them in your plot. Baby leeks are just ordinary leeks that are pulled out before they're fully grown. When they're harvested (late summer to Autumn) those that are left shouldn't grow too big at that time of year.

[Firstyear]

Great, thank you. Think I might just sow in rows then as with baby leeks you eat the whole thing as the green hasn’t toughened.. will give it some thought....or as you say transplant closer together.

[Dev]

Have a look at Charles Dowding's website (he's also got You Tube postings that are good). He sows his leeks in modules (40 hole trays) and puts three or four seeds per module. You then plant out the whole module. You can't dib them in this way so you will will get less white than single planting, but you can get an awful lot of leek in a small space. I tried it last year and we are still eating them now, and I'll be doing it again this year. Good luck.

[Firstyear]

Thanks, funnily enough I was intending doing it his way, but then started thinking as I was looking to pick them young I may get more in by doing rows... the indecision lol!

[Mr Dog]

Have a look at Charles Dowding's website (he's also got You Tube postings that are good). He sows his leeks in modules (40 hole trays) and puts three or four seeds per module. You then plant out the whole module. You can't dib them in this way so you will will get less white than single planting, but you can get an awful lot of leek in a small space. I tried it last year and we are still eating them now, and I'll be doing it again this year. Good luck.

You can 'bury' them if you dig a hole, pop the module in and carefully back fill.

[Goosegirl]

Mr Dog, you don't normally back-fill the holes where you've just put your leek in as you just water them in and let the rain take the soil down into the hole, though I've often wondered why we're advised to do it this way.

[mumofstig]

I've always thought that it's so they have room to expand easily widthwise - like having an elastic waistband 

[Mr Dog]

Mr Dog, you don't normally back-fill the holes where you've just put your leek in as you just water them in and let the rain take the soil down into the hole, though I've often wondered why we're advised to do it this way.

With a single leek it's a fairly narrow hole whereas with a module of 3, 4 or even 5 leeks you have to make a fairly wide hole to get it in (and fairly deep to get a decent blanch). Back filling, at least some,  helps stabilise things. I found leek size was pretty good (and you can get a far greater number in a given space) but I've stopped growing them this way and plant well spaced, singly to try and minimise the rust mine invariably suffer.
My understanding for the reason of just plonking into a hole is to help prevent soil getting into the layers of the leek.

[andyww2013]

One tip i found last year is when you transplant into the ground, make sure the main leafs go in the same direction as the row.

Sounds trival but it makes weeding between the rows much easier and it stops you treading on the leafs when you walk down the row.

[andreadon]

One tip i found last year is when you transplant into the ground, make sure the main leafs go in the same direction as the row.

Sounds trival but it makes weeding between the rows much easier and it stops you treading on the leafs when you walk down the row.

What does that mean in.practice?
Like this?
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Rather than?
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[Growster...]

Leeks just grow well with about 5" of blanched stems, and a couple of inches of pale green leaves!

I reckon that a leek grown to have a 10" blanched length isn't quite natural, and after all, if you look at all the magazine pics of meals showing leeks, they're aways a light green!

I'm considering doing just a couple of buckets of them this year (in the past we usually grew about 200), and we'll leave it at that!

They're a fabulous veg, and I loved the organisation of all the beds, but as space is now at a premium, needs must..;0)

[mumofstig]

Rather than?
() () () () () () ()

That way the outside leaves would grow toward the next leek, rather than across the space between the rows - I think that's what the aim is...

[Growster...]

"I think that's what the aim is..."

Exactly that Mum, but it's a huge faff trying to get the thinner ones in the holes the right way round!

I never used to bother in the end, life's to short to stuff a mushroom..;0)