[jaws8]

Morning all,

I am in a predicament. My better half has told me that if I buy one more packet of seeds she will castrate me! 

I have some Carlton F1 seeds that I am going to plant as an Autumn crop but really wanted to have some baby Summer leeks for the table too. Will the Carltons be ok as a baby leeks or will I have to get some King Richards. As I haven't grown Leeks before I don't understand why only certain types can be picked early as baby veg.

Thanks for any advice,  Adrian.

[Salmo]

I grew Carlton last year. I am sure they will make good baby leeks. Mine were sown in March in open ground and by the time I planted them out following early potatoes in June/July they were finger thick. They got rust quite badly. I have just eaten the last ones.

[Trillium]

With such a threat hanging over your head, you'd best obey  Simply pull the leeks out at whatever stage you want them. Frankly, as leeks get really large, they get tougher.

[jaws8]

Thanks the advice. I think she was rather hoping that I would buy some more seeds, she needs a new pair of earings!

[Benandbill]

Someone said you should plant them out using a dibber when they've been sown to pencil thickness.  Does anyone know how deep they should be buried?  To the tips of the leaves?  about half / 3/4 of their length??

[DD.]

As deep as you can get them!

[Kristen]

Someone said you should plant them out using a dibber when they've been sown to pencil thickness.  Does anyone know how deep they should be buried?  To the tips of the leaves?  about half / 3/4 of their length??

I leave a couple of inches sticking out of the ground. But on my soil that is as far as I can get the dibber in anyway!

The blanched white shaft on my harvested Leeks winds up at around 18cm - so presumably that's about the depth of the dibber hole.