Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Goosegirl on September 26, 2009, 16:58
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I have been trying to grow leeks with long, white shanks which my OH wants. I have dibbed holes at 6-7" when planting but on harvesting there is still not enough white length. Should I dib a bit deeper, or make a small trench and plant in that then earth up later on or does it depend on the variety? :unsure:
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To some extent it does depend on the variety.
You can earth up though...and i do, but i wrap a toilet roll inner round each leek to stop the earth getting inside :)
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When you say you toilet roll your leeks... do you mean that they are just sat, in the middle of a toilet roll which is upright in your soil?
So a pencil thin leek, is in a toilet roll?
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Yep.
That's what I did this year.
Let it grow within the roll cutting out light to increase the blanched length.
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You could always mulch with straw.
My new technique is to use a bulb planter to dig a deep hole, and take the soil out. The use it again to dig a deeper hole, and as the soil comes up, slide the leek down the side and then release the soil so that it immediately covers most of the leek. Then, as you go, the soil from the first holes goes to raise the soil round all the leeks.
I also saw a nice carrot planter when we were wandering around Littleover allotments; imagine two pieces of decking wood with two 6 inch pieces of wood making a long long straight box [the decking makes the long sides and the 6 inch pieces of wood make the short sides]. You could dig a trench, and plant the leeks in the trench, then earth up; and then put a frame round them like the long box above; and then earth up into the box. Thus making them about 12 inches deep.
A * to dig out when the ground is frozen so perhaps try some with cardboard tubes and/straw as well, for frostier days.
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I have used the toilet roll method too. I have a square in my square foot front garden with leeks (and toilet rolls) in it, and a raised bed at the plot. I seem to have more white than last year so something seems to be working, although I did dib a hole for them too.
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I did it like they showed me on Gardeners world... I dibbed a hole and dropped them into the holes, them watered. I didn't push the soil round them at all....
Can some one explain to me how to toilet roll them for next year?
Do they go in the ground at all, or just sit on top of the earth inside the roll?
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Riala: the idea of earthing up the leeks is to increase the length of the white paet, by cutting off the light. You can gather the leaves together, and slip a toilet roll tube over the leek, so it's just sitting on the soil. That way, when you earth up (about 3 inches), the earth won't get between the leaves ( gritty leeks = :tongue2: ).
Or you can just wind a bit of newspaper round the leek, then earth up.
Lots of people grow leeks with no bog rolls, though. :)
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When planting leeks I start off with a deep "v" shaped trench (V because that's the shap of the tip of the draw-hoe I use). I them use a dibber and plant the leeks in the normal way.
The V trench makes it easier and quicker to water as the water stays around the line of leeks rather than spreading.
Later in the year after careful hoeing a few times the soil gradually fills the trench. The result is much deeper planted leeks and more of the leek stem in the ground...so more white.
This might not be as effective as the loo-roll method but it is easier / quicker and works for me on my four or five 30' rows of leeks each year. Fun digging up again sometimes!!
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Is there a stage when it's too late to put toilet rolls on them?
I put my leeks out in Aug.... dropped them into holes and watered well..... and they are growing very nicely.
I've saved toilet rolls for them and am planning on putting them on them on Monday... do most people put them on at the planting stage?
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Meh....sometimes yes but sometimes no.......if you have any spare what better place to put them - it really does keep them clean of soil even if it doesn't blanche them.
I would dib them; but my soil is SO clayey and my elbow SO rubbish that I can't get as deep as I'd like, so the bulb planter method is a godsend....last year I really struggled to get them as deep as I wanted and I put another 70 into final positions today with no fuss or bother at all.
Another 70-odd into final positions tomorrow at the lottie. YAY!!!
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Meh....sometimes yes but sometimes no.......if you have any spare what better place to put them - it really does keep them clean of soil even if it doesn't blanche them.
I would dib them; but my soil is SO clayey and my elbow SO rubbish that I can't get as deep as I'd like, so the bulb planter method is a godsend....last year I really struggled to get them as deep as I wanted and I put another 70 into final positions today with no fuss or bother at all.
Another 70-odd into final positions tomorrow at the lottie. YAY!!!
You seem to be planting them out really late.... will they make it before end of Autumn?
To help with the dibbing in I fill my V shaped trench with water first, leave it to soak in and then find it really easy to get the dibber in even on clay. It helps give the newly planted roots a bit more moisture too.
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I planted out my leeks in late July and they're ready to eat!
Should I have waited?
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They'll be fine, most of mine went out in mid June. June/July is the usual time. I planted some in August when the space became free, but they're way behind the others.
Ones planted now won't make the size, but it just depends on whether you want large ones or not.
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Meh....sometimes yes but sometimes no.......if you have any spare what better place to put them - it really does keep them clean of soil even if it doesn't blanche them.
I would dib them; but my soil is SO clayey and my elbow SO rubbish that I can't get as deep as I'd like, so the bulb planter method is a godsend....last year I really struggled to get them as deep as I wanted and I put another 70 into final positions today with no fuss or bother at all.
Another 70-odd into final positions tomorrow at the lottie. YAY!!!
You seem to be planting them out really late.... will they make it before end of Autumn?
To help with the dibbing in I fill my V shaped trench with water first, leave it to soak in and then find it really easy to get the dibber in even on clay. It helps give the newly planted roots a bit more moisture too.
This is my 4th lot - I've started eating the first - these are planted quite close together for more longer thinner spring offerings. I succession sow most of my crops for longer seasons.
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I pulled all mine yesterday... they have not changed in size since I put them in at the end of July.... should I have waited?
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Yes - leeks can take 9-12 months to get big enough to eat.
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I pulled all mine yesterday... they have not changed in size since I put them in at the end of July.... should I have waited?
I must addmit this has not been a good year for leeks around my way. At first I thought it was just mine that were looking not-so-brilliant this year...then other people began to say the same thing.
Some of mine have bulked out but none look like they will give the bumper, reliable late Autumn and into Spring staple standby that I am used to. Disappointing. Only difference I think I have made from last year is to plant mainly on a new half-plot (loads of clay although I did add compost last year).
I don't worry about succession planting for leeks as, in a good year, they keep well in the soil right through to March from one (or two) plantings.
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I pulled all mine yesterday... they have not changed in size since I put them in at the end of July.... should I have waited?
will probs be lifting mine november through to january.
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I have been trying to grow leeks with long, white shanks which my OH wants. I have dibbed holes at 6-7" when planting but on harvesting there is still not enough white length. Should I dib a bit deeper, or make a small trench and plant in that then earth up later on or does it depend on the variety? :unsure:
Some show growers use a plastic tube within a tube, as the leek grows you lift up the outer tube to keep the stalk elongating.
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Many thanks for all your advice. I think I will do the trench method next year and maybe bundle some tied straw around them later on as we have plenty of that here for sheep bedding.
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I actually made a mistake this year ???, because when I planted my leeks out, I planted them conventionally, ie I didn't make a hole and drop them in and then water, I just dug a small hole, and planted it, like I would a normal plant :wub:, but hey, they are coming up just as good and quite a large white stem as well :D.
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I borrowed some space on my Mums lottie the year before last and threw some leek seeds in. I knew nothing about growing them and just thinned them out (replanting the thinnings) when they got crowded.
No deep holes or earthing up but they were the best leeks I've ever tasted!
Granted, they could have been whiter but I'm hoping to work on that with this years crop.
Fingers crossed they taste as good ::)