[Shieldsy]

Hi there,

Am fairly new to all this so please excuse my ignorance if similar questions have been posted already.

Started my Leeks and Onions off a while back in an unheated greenhouse but with the warm weather we've been having they are all now very leggy so my question is should I plant them outside now and sink as much of the leggy growth as possible into the soil or can I give them a haircut and keep them in the greenhouse until they have bulked out a little as they are still very thin? If I give them a haircut will this kill them?

Alan

[peanut]

exactly my problem at the moment - no idea of the asnwer but a blooming good question.

[DD.]

They won't bulk out if you keep them in the greenhouse. Nature designed them for the great outdoors.

Put them outside!

[Salmo]

Give them a haircut. Just enough to stop them bending over. It makes them much more managable. I always do this with onions.

Plant the onions out when they have a good second leaf. Do not plant them deep.

Plant the leeks out, wait until they are pencil thick, about June, and then plant them in to 6 inch deep holes made with a dibber. Do not fill the holes, water into the holes and this will wash enough soil in the cover the roots.

[Shieldsy]

Thanks all so far.............is it just onions that are OK with a haircut or will leeks be ok too?

I've seen you post loads DD and plenty of great tips so will take your advice on the going outside front but would be good to get an opinion so I am more aware of what to do next year.

How does everyone else do their leeks/onions from seed?

Thanks all.

[DD.]

If you've not come across it, this is exactly how I go about Leeks.

It's under GYO Stickies > Useful Topics & Sites. Well worth a look there.

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

[Shieldsy]

Thanks DD

[pushrod]

How does everyone else do their leeks/onions from seed?

Thanks all.

Prepare your onion beds about october and grow them in the same place each year unless affected by disease, dig deep and put slow release fertiliser in the trench and fill with loads of compostable material to hold moisture that the roots will grow down into. Sow your onion seeds near the end of december about 15C remove from heat immediately they start coming up and transplant at loop stage into their own little pots, harden off around march and plant out april.  Mine went out into the beds a week ago but have cloches, cold frames or tunnels still over them.
Don't allow them to dry out in the summer and if the trenches are deep with lots of moisture holding material you won't have probs with bolting.

[andreadon]

Right, I've read your thread, DD.
My packet says sow in mar/apr and it's now nearly may.
i'm assuming i'm not too late, but do i still do it your way in the boxes or can i wait a bit and put them straight in the ground?

(they're F1 carlton)

ooh, and how do you "dib" them out into their places when the time comes?

[mumofstig]

look here http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34943.msg418653#msg418653

[andreadon]

aha!!!
thanks, mum!