[AndyRVTR]

Hi all... a quickie to the leek growers if I may......  I have bought some Musselburgh leek seeds to try this year and the packet states they can be grown Jan & Feb indoors... and Mar & Apr outdoors..... does anyone know what the benefit would be of starting them indoors so early?

[DD.]

I sow in March indoors, (cool greenhouse). The packets always seem to aim early.

I tried a sowing in January a few years ago and they bolted after being transplanted.

[AndyRVTR]

Thanks DD... I have three varieties to try this year... the Musselburgh, which I plan to sow next week as an experiment, and then again in Mar/Apr.
The other two are Tadorna and Oarsman F1 which I will sow Mar-May.... apparently they have a very long growing season....

[TheSpartacat]

Ah I'm glad someone else is pondering this about Leeks... i'm just dying to get sowing something and was getting tempted by leeks.... or onion seed...

[Stevens706]

I sowed my onions 17th Jan last year and they were my best ever, looking forward to starting sowing again soon

[Stoatus]

I sowed Musselburgh leek seeds indoors at the end of Jan last year and put them in a cold frame when after a couple of weeks, then pricked out into small pots middle of march and left outside til June, when I planted them. I had no probs with them going to seed and they are definitely bigger than my neighbour's who started in March. I did keep them in cool places when they came up though - perhaps that's what they need.

[Aidy]

Same as DD, the earliest I have sown is Jan 22nd, I guess about 70 odd % bolted by cropping time, sown mid March and only the odd ones bolt.
We generaly don't start eating them until end of Nov onwards so not that bothered about an early crop.

[Kristen]

We generaly don't start eating them until end of Nov onwards so not that bothered about an early crop.

Us too, I don't want them super early, nor massively thick! - nor bolting for that matter.  Consequently, personally, I'm in no rush to sow.

[Sideways]

I put a tray of seeds in over the weekend, I did this last year with no problem. I will start another tray in March.

We love leeks in our house and eat them young too, cant have enough leeks I say!

[thecakebaker]

I sowed mine on Sunday in plug trays and also have them in a heated greenhouse.

[AndyRVTR]

I put a tray of seeds in over the weekend, I did this last year with no problem. I will start another tray in March.

We love leeks in our house and eat them young too, cant have enough leeks I say!

Thats what I will be doing, we love leeks and tend to freeze any before they have a chance to bolt anyway....