[andyww2013]

Hi,

I’ve got some leeks which I'd like to get out while the weather is good, do these look big enough to transplant out into their final places?

Thanks

[Yorkie]

Some of them look just about big enough, but others are still a bit small.  Ideally the guidance tends to say pencil size for planting out, though most of us only achieve biro insert size!

Are you feeding them or just watering them in those root trainers?

[juvenal]

Putting leeks out when too slim runs the risk of slugs having them. I would let them get a little stronger and thicker.

[heygrow]

I don't normally put leeks in until after first early spuds come out, around June time. Leeks are normally in the through winter, so no rush to plant out.

[andyww2013]

Yes, I think you're right, just me being a bit too keen to crack on.  I'll carry on fattening them up with some feed.

[jambop]

Some of them look a bit weedy why not just nurture then a bit longer you have plenty of time to get them in the soil. The should be a bit more robust then... they are still nice plants though nice to see!

[Kleftiwallah]

Good evening andyww2013,

"Some people say..." that you should trim off half of the roots and trim off a third of the leaves (the top third)!

Cheers,   Tony.

[Growster...]

I don't normally put leeks in until after first early spuds come out, around June time. Leeks are normally in the through winter, so no rush to plant out.

Good time then, Heygrow, the soil has been mucked around with, is nice and opened up, easy to dibble and the process of planting late leeks then makes the most of the ground!

I made the mistake of planting some earlies one year, and they mostly failed, looking miserable by the time we normally require them, from November onwards! (Then I joined this Allotment site and started to know better..;0)

...still learning...

[Tenhens]

Good evening andyww2013,

"Some people say..." that you should trim off half of the roots and trim off a third of the leaves (the top third)!

Cheers,   Tony.

I used to trim the roots.

John's book Vegetable Growing Month By Month has the following:
" Some old books advised trimming the roots and tops of the leaves before transplanting. This has been shown to be counter productive. Not all the old-fashioned methods were sound , so don't do it".

[DD.]

I don't like to get too far ahead with late season or next season crops - e.g. leeks and purple sprouters. I've found in the past that such crops are prone to bolting if planted too early.

[jambop]

Good evening andyww2013,

"Some people say..." that you should trim off half of the roots and trim off a third of the leaves (the top third)!

Cheers,   Tony.

I would normally trim the tops and take the roots back with bare rooted plants but with these plants being nicely grown in modules I would just dib them in without touching the roots and maybe give them a haircut.

[Missey]

I've not even sown mine yet 

[jambop]

Just bought mine today at the market €3.50 for a bunch of fifty... turned out to be sixty correction turned out to be 70 !    lazy I know but easy and early had no lettuce seeds so bought 15 plants as well €5 for the lot

[Growster...]

Nice bunch there, Jambop! Good value too!

Do the French still sell scallions like they used to?

We just loved the 'intermediate' growths between onions and springs!

[jambop]

Nice bunch there, Jambop! Good value too!

Do the French still sell scallions like they used to?

We just loved the 'intermediate' growths between onions and springs!

They sell two different onions at the market in the village. The Terbons onion which is a perfect salad onion and can be grown on to quite a large onion which is still sweet and not at all hot so sliced with tomatoes is really great unfortunately they cannot be stored. These onions can the be left in the ground over the winter though to give five or six lovely sweet spring onions per plant could these be the ones you are thinking of ?  The others are just either red or yellow onions for storing over winter . I tend to grow my own onions but buy the leeks??? It has to be said that if you have no facility to raise your own plants you are well catered for down where I stay. The plants on sale today were great and varied I bought 70 leeks, 16 lettuce and three large aubergine plants for €8 not bad value. There are a lot of older people live in the village and I think many now just buy their plants. I would say that I could have filled my beds with plants today with everything but root vegs. I am probably tempting fate but I think that there is little chance of a frost now  so many people are just planting everything out . I usually hold back a couple of weeks before my tomatoes and tender stuff goes in though.