[JayG]

Each year I always try to grow something I've never grown before and believe it or not I've never grown leeks before.

My bedtime reading last night was Monty Don's article in the Feb 2009 "Gardener's World" magazine, which suggested sowing in pots, then transplanting out in "small clumps of between 4 and 8 plants".

Which way works for you, and what do you think of Monty's technique (he suggests that growing giant leeks is a sign of male inadequacy!) 

[mumofstig]

That's fine if you only want the very thin ones.
The small ones didn't work very well, this hard winter. By the time I pulled the mushy outside layers off, I only had 'spring onions' left

So although I'm not into any inadequacy theories I do think they do need to be a decent size ....just to survive

[DD.]

I do it my way!!

Which as we all know is:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0

[lucywil]

i do it DD's way then once they are pencil thick hubby takes over and plants them out (for some reason leeks are the only plant i trust him with!!).

he normally dibs a hole and drops them in but this year he did half that way and then trenched the other half to see if it gave a longer white bit, which it did. he also put drain pipe round some which worked as well.

[Tattyanne456]

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.0 very interesting, but do you use spent growbags, or fresh ones?

[DD.]

Fresh for these, old stuff for radish grown in similar manner.

[Trillium]

JayG are you sure Monty is planting leeks that way and not onions? Because as said, the leeks will mature as very spindly due to crowding. Their root systems can get quite massive and this sort of crowding just won't allow anything more than the spring onions suggested.
Geoff Hamilton recommended this idea but using regular onions in clusters of 4 as their roots aren't as large. Onions, in clusters of 4, were space saving and decorative in the flower garden.

[mumofstig]

twas leeks Trillium, I was a bit surprised when I read it :blink:

[Trillium]

I would be too, MoS. Monty is an experienced enough gardener to know better.

[mumofstig]

also found this  on the RHS website

Leeks can either be sown in rows outside in a traditional seedbed, or indoors (earlier) in modular trays, with five or six seeds per module. Either way, they need transplanting when they reach about 10cm (4in) high. A large dibber (or old spade handle) is used to make holes (about 7cm/3in deep) for individual plants in their final positions. Drop each leek into a hole, and then fill the holes with water. For module-grown leeks, each cluster is transplanted as one unit, the hole then being filled with water in the same way.

So who knows? Don't think I'll try it that way though

[JayG]

Can't send you the whole article, but can attach this link to a video of the technique. On the same site there is another video showing Monty planting them out individually!

Take your pick (methinks Monty has made a few bob from leek growing one way or the other but perhaps should make up his mind!) 

[Goosegirl]

I'm going to try them the Robinson's Mammoth Onion way this year where they plant them on the flat, then place a 1ft land tile or drainpipe over them so an inch or two of leaf shows. Don't put any soil inside. You can put a bigger one over if you want a longer blanch and earth up the smaller one inside like a telescopic action.

[zazen999]

My current technique is to use a bulb planter to get a nice deep hole[ use it twice in each hole to get really deep], plonk the seedling in and the soil from the hole is put in between the seedlings. Makes a nice deep hole, long white shank and no making holes with broom handles etc, which I find hard to do.

[BostonInbred]

What about sowing in 2" biodegradable pots first ?

[DD.]

What about one re-useable cat litter tray for 96 seedlings?

Leeks don't mind a bit of rough treatment when transplanting & I can see no advantage in giving each a pot.