[Dirt Diver]

Hi

I have just been reading Grow your own by Dirty Nails of Blackmore Vale Magazine. It has some interesting ideas.
But one is to plant your Leeks in seed trays in Feb, transplant to a bed in April and then again transplant  in mid summer to their final bed.

Does anybody do this or see the benefit in doing it.

Confused of Bucks

[arugula]

I seem to be able to grow quite good leeks. I don't ever transplant them twice - once is enough for me!

[mumofstig]

I read that book as well. Seems a lot of faffing around to me. Planting them a la 'DD method' so they can stay in the deep tray untill they can go in their final bed.......seems a lot less work to me

[Goosegirl]

Robinson's Mammoths near me advise replanting leeks etc in the 2 leaf stage then again before final planting. Not sure about it except that you are giving the seedlings even more room to thicken out - depends on how far apart you replant in the first stage, but I would recommend feeding them with a seaweed-based food if you don't do a second replant so they have enough nutrients to grow thicker.

[mosser]

I've grown 'Almera' variety for the past two seasons and they have been great.   Straight from seedling to final planting position.

[zazen999]

Hi

I have just been reading Grow your own by Dirty Nails of Blackmore Vale Magazine. It has some interesting ideas.
But one is to plant your Leeks in seed trays in Feb, transplant to a bed in April and then again transplant  in mid summer to their final bed.

Does anybody do this or see the benefit in doing it.

Confused of Bucks

That's exactly how I do it - seed tray - a corner of a bed when about 3 inches tall and then drag them out when their final place is cleared.

[Dirt Diver]

That's exactly how I do it - seed tray - a corner of a bed when about 3 inches tall and then drag them out when their final place is cleared.

ZAZen - could you please give me an idea about timings, and how large would they be going to final planting.  Also - is it really worth the extra work.

[rowlandwells]

i always set my leek seed in deep modules and then set out the modules as plants without pulling them apart i seen this done on one of Geoff Hamilton's gardening TV programs and i  have copied this ever since but your rite there is more work involved doing it that way but having said that my father inlaw would set his leek seed in rows then pull the plants transplanting  them individually into open holes trimming both roots and tops and puddle them in leaving the hole open and as they grew he ridged them up he alway had dam good leeks with thick shafts and would always grow Musselburgh as his chioce  

i set a variety called Toledo this year [pelleted seed]  but I'm going to try a variety called  Tornado next year [pelleted seed] and set them as i always do but again its your preference

[zazen999]

That's exactly how I do it - seed tray - a corner of a bed when about 3 inches tall and then drag them out when their final place is cleared.

ZAZen - could you please give me an idea about timings, and how large would they be going to final planting.  Also - is it really worth the extra work.

What extra work?

The whole tray of seedlings will have it's roots bedded in together; so you can tip the whole tray up, the lot comes out in one 'pad' and pop it in a corner of a bed. Sweep soil up around them and job done. 30 seconds if that.

When it comes to the final position - dig the lot out, separate as you would anyway and [I use a bulb planter] get them in their final positions.

I have most of my trays in use all year round so don't like them hanging around - I get them in when I can.

Timings - depend on the sowing time but usually they can go into their intermediate beds around Mayish. Finals - when there is space after the spuds usually. When I have time!

[zazen999]

Just to say - I visited an Amish community this year and none of their leeks were dibbed in and measured out - the whole lot was grown shoulder to shoulder and were all a good size.

Numbers - if you put a pinch of seeds into a 3 inch pot, that was about the space they had - about 5 to a 3 inch pot area; they all grew in amongst each other and pushed each other apart....and were dug up in batches as they have loads of mouths to feed at once!

We are too nice to leeks - sow, bung in a corner, pop into final position - job done. There are other things to worry about than being too careful with leeks!

[arugula]

What extra work?

The whole tray of seedlings will have it's roots bedded in together; so you can tip the whole tray up, the lot comes out in one 'pad' and pop it in a corner of a bed. Sweep soil up around them and job done. 30 seconds if that.

When it comes to the final position - dig the lot out, separate as you would anyway and [I use a bulb planter] get them in their final positions.

It looks to me as though you are doing this purely to let the yound plants "stretch their legs". I can't possibly see any other reason for plonking them straight out shoulder to shoulder. Why not just plant them initially in deep root trainers then out to their final position?

Less work?

[Coach]

Hi

I have just been reading Grow your own by Dirty Nails of Blackmore Vale Magazine. It has some interesting ideas.
But one is to plant your Leeks in seed trays in Feb, transplant to a bed in April and then again transplant  in mid summer to their final bed.

Does anybody do this or see the benefit in doing it.

Confused of Bucks

That is the way I plant mine, although I start sowing Mid January!
I also start my parsnips that way but in toilet roll middles!!!

[zazen999]

What extra work?

The whole tray of seedlings will have it's roots bedded in together; so you can tip the whole tray up, the lot comes out in one 'pad' and pop it in a corner of a bed. Sweep soil up around them and job done. 30 seconds if that.

When it comes to the final position - dig the lot out, separate as you would anyway and [I use a bulb planter] get them in their final positions.

It looks to me as though you are doing this purely to let the yound plants "stretch their legs". I can't possibly see any other reason for plonking them straight out shoulder to shoulder. Why not just plant them initially in deep root trainers then out to their final position?

Less work?

Waste root trainers on leeks - no way! Root trainers are for beans and peas and deep rooted plants.

As said - I don't leave things in trays hanging around and put lots of my seedlings in 'holding bays' so to speak. It means the greenhouse is always full of fresh new seedlings and I always have a plentiful supply of new plants to pop into any position that comes free during the year.

I grow about 300-400 leeks a year myself, and sow at least double that to give away or [now] for schools to grow - so I need a holding position or I'd have no spare space for a significant part of the year. Lifting a tray out and sliding into a corner somewhere is infinitely more useful to me than having them hanging round getting all pot bound.

[arugula]

I grow about 300-400 leeks a year myself, and sow at least double that to give away or [now] for schools to grow - .....

Ah, now if you'd said in the first place you were growing them on an almost commercial scale....

[Babstreefern]

My leeks go into seed trays in January/early February, and have them in my conservatory, then when frosts have gone, I plant them in their final resting place on the allotment.  I make a hole with one of those hole diggers, drop the seedling in, put in a bit of water to anchor them, and bobs your uncle away they go.  I grew the mammoth leeks this year, and they are wonderful:)  I'm so proud