[TheSpartacat]

Hello,

I have an early variety of leek (Lyon Prizetaker) that is "extremely cold hardy and crops Sept to Nov"
It suggests on the packet to sow indoors and then transplant out in March-April.
It doesn't specify whether indoors means on the windowsill, or whether under a coldframe would do.

I've consulted the DG Hessayon growers bible and it says "sown under glass at beginning of year, or sown outdoors to provide long stemmed leeks before the end of the year, but doesn't specify 'when'

Is a coldframe sufficient to fulfill the "sown under glass" requirement?

Anyone grown these before that can offer any advice? I already have them sown, just wonderin where to house them?

[DD.]

Mine go in a frost free greenhouse, I'd think a coldframe would be OK, as long as we don't get a prolonged artic spell.

[solway cropper]

I've got some early leeks which I've germinated on a window sill and will be putting them out into the unheated greenhouse when it gets a bit warmer. With some of the quicker growing varieties it's quite possible to be harvesting baby leeks by end of July/early August.

[TheSpartacat]

Thank you both for your advice.
I'm hoping to have a long cropping season for leeks as I use so many of them! Will pop them under the coldframe and hope for the best. If nothing happens I can take them up to the plot and try the polytunnel

[Ian_P]

Well, Call me mad but........................

I got fed up of watching people on my site with mature leeks in mid summer  when mine were only just ready to go out behind the first early potatoes so.........

I sowed a pot in August, they germinated well and spent the whole winter in a tiny unheated greenhouse without any problems. 

I noticed they had started to get a bit bigger in the past week so.............

I planted out 50 tinies from one pot this afternoon, in a space I had left on the onion patch. 

As I said call me mad but, who knows, it might work, they were certainly healthy enough as they went out. 

[crh75]

I normally sow leeks in deep pots, about 8" deep.  One year I left them on a sunny window sill until June then planted them out and had a great crop.  Normally I would get them outside much earlier, but I always leave them in the pot I sowed them in until planting time.

[DD.]

Fingers crossed they don't think it's year two!