[Yorkie]

Mine are always like grass stalks, eventually I get fed up with waiting for them to grow any wider, and bung them in the plot.  They tend to do OK so don't give up gillian 

[Nikkicola]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I'll try the earthing up with newspaper tubes as I've planted about 50 leeks and don't think I'll go through that many toilet rolls quickly enough!!!