[Anton]

Advice please. I want to make a seed bed for winter leeks (I hope it's not too late).
I understand what a seed bed is and how to prepare it but how do I sow the leeks for later transplanting? Just thinly in a square patch of soil rather than in the rows (so as to save space)?
Up to now I have always planted winter leek plants bought from the shops but I thought I would give sowing a go this year. I generally have five or six rows of leeks for the winter.

Anton

[mumofstig]

Make sure you have a fairly fine tilth in your patch, and then pretend it's a litter tray like DD used
https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26363.msg312300#msg312300

[Anton]

OK, thanks very much for your prompt reply and most helpful advice.

Anton

[Rob the rake]

That's exactly the way I do it, in one of the double-sized Stewart seed trays. At planting time, banging the base of the tray on a hard surface loosens the soil/compost and the seedlings are then quite easy to disentangle by gently shaking them apart. Great method and virtually foolproof...even this fool can manage it. 

[rowlandwells]

we tend to grow our leek seed one setting in deep trays and another in deep modules and we plant as they come out of the modules I seen that method done by Geoff Hamilton many years ago and it seems to work ok for us

[lettice]

I have always grown leeks in deep containers. That is the most important thing for leeks that I am aware.
They are pretty easy to grow and germinate and its certainly not too late to sow now.

Last few years i have grown in deep pots, that are 9 inches deep, rather than containers.
Sowed mine this year Feb 14th in greenhouse.
Here are mine as they were on March 20th this year.
They are now more than double that size now and twice as fat.
Will be planting out late May and early June, when pencil width.
I always give one of the pots to my Dad too, when ready for planting out.

[Anton]

So I made a seed bed for the leeks on the allotment. I think I overdid the amount of seeds (see attached picture). Do I just leave them like that and wait until they are pencil width or should I thin them out a bit?

[New shoot]

I would thin them a bit as overcrowded seedlings will struggle.  Just water that patch of earth well before you start and the surplus ones should pull out without damaging the rest.

[Anton]

Thanks for your reply.

Anton