[Cheshire Phill]

Does anyone have any standard "leeks follow..." routine on their plot?

I'm bringing on plenty of leeks (200+) using DDs cat little tray method in cool conditions, and they are just showing OK. Problem is, I can't predict when they will big enough to put out..I can allocate them a largish bed, but would rather use it for something else going in shortly.

I'm aware once they are in, they take up the space forever....like the parsnips bed I have...

Does anyone have a plan to put leeks in a bed after cropping onions, broad beans, first earlies or anything else? I don't want to get to the time they need to go out and have no space though!!

Any experience or standard practice welcomed please!!

Cheers,

Phill 

[mumofstig]

Mine always go in the bed as the new potatoes come out , if that helps 

[corndolly]

We plant leeks grown from seed ,which we are about to sow in trays in unheated greenhouse,  in June . Ideally the plants should be around pencil thickness , so when sowing seed give them room to grow around an 1" spacing.

We dont grow early potatoes but its a crop that would be dug up in June ,so a good crop to follow with leeks,in my opinion.

[Ropster]

yes, mine go in after the early potatoes come out.

[paintedlady]

Mine too - after the 1st earlies are dug up 

[Salmo]

I leave a suitable space at the end of my onion/roots bed with rows of beetroot and parsnips next to it. In this space I grow salads until early July and then clear it for the leeks to be planted out.

The late lifting crops, leeks and parsnips are therefore all in the same bed and at one end of it. Also the leeks are in the onion part of the rotation.

I follow the leeks and parsnips with runner beans so there is no pressure to lift them.

My leek seeds are sown direct in the ground with some spring onions sprinkled along the row. Pull the spring onions, leave the leeks.

[binner]

i have put green manure on my leek patch, that should be ready to be dug in late may

[maxie]

Mine go in as the new taties comeout as well.

[Cheshire Phill]

Thanks all so far, I'm getting a distinct feeling they should follow first earlies, so I'll try and plan around that...think I should have 3-4 rows worth of space there, and intend spacing the leeks fairly closely, so might work OK.

Only just started putting in the 1st earlies now though...so is their grow to harvest time approx. the same as my v small leeks from now until they are pencil-sized? I do hope so...

15 weeks until end of June, should be plenty of time, just hope the leeks aren't too big by then!!!! will keep 'em cool, I think!

Cheers

Phill 

[andtiggertoo]

I also intend to plant my leeks out where my first earlies have been this year.

Last year my leeks were very poor and never got up to pencil thickness ( I planted them in root trainers). This year I have sown them in a cat little tray, I'm a bit worried now that they might be sown too close together to get to pencil thickness in the litter tray. 

Should they be transplanted into separate pots sometime between now and June to thicken up prior to final planting. They are currently about 3" tall but only 1mm thick.

[fletch]

Should they be transplanted into separate pots sometime between now and June to thicken up prior to final planting. They are currently about 3" tall but only 1mm thick.

I was wondering this too. I have a tray full of leek seedlings in the greenhouse, all about 2-3 inches tall but also only 1mm thick. Should I transplant them into seperate cells and grow on somewhere cooler or just leave them as they are for now? 

[mumofstig]

the idea of the cat litter tray, is to sow them about an inch apart, then they can stay in there until you are ready to plant them out, thus avoiding any potting on.