[sunshineband]

Only my second year growing leeks so I'm still experimenting; 2/3rds in dibbed holes and the rest much closer together in a trench which will probably need some "help" to fill in.

All looking good at the moment but will be very surprised if the trench ones are as big as the individual ones, although of course they take up a lot less valuable space!

I found that the ones I hadn't space for dibbling in that I put in a trench close together were like those  baby leeks you see that are very very expensive 

[Zippy]

I have just planted out my leeks in a trench at 6 inch spacings.

I think it is not so much that they are trenched but how close together they are spaced at planting that determines how large or small they are at harvest.

[sunshineband]

I have just planted out my leeks in a trench at 6 inch spacings.

I think it is not so much that they are trenched but how close together they are spaced at planting that determines how large or small they are at harvest.

Yes, I agree 

[Zippy]

Hi Sunshine! I also had a few over so I trenched them in at about three inche spacings so I'll have some posh ones as well!

[cooperman]

well all fairly comprehensively covered....
I would point out that Medwyn Williams (Gold Medal Chelsea Veg exhibitor) never dibs in his leeks, he just plants them!

However I do dib in mine.  The main point is getting your seed in early (February for me) and they get away as soon as it warms up, I am now transplanting pencil thick plants into their final positions @ 8" spacing....

[Dan78]

Planted out around 70 leeks today (in the rain!) and have about the same at home for when more space is available.

The first bed was prepared for them and I have been adding my own lovely compost for the last few weeks. I used a broom handle to make nice deep holes and dropped them in. Watered the holes up and will let them get on with it.

Still had around half left at this stage so decided to plant the rest where I had just pulled out the couple of potatos and around the edge of that bed. Well I could only make the holes about half as deep but dropped them in anyway. Then when watering loads of massive stones fell into the holes! Ah well.. Will be interesting to compare them both!

[Growster...]

Perfectionists used to make sure that when leeks were planted, the leaves went in line with the row, to conserve space!

Try doing that with 300 odd of the chaps, and it's just starting to rain...

Leeks also do a similar job to the soil to spuds, i.e. by dibbling, earthing up a little, and digging up, the soil gets moved around, as well as being shoved here and there by the expanding plant.

[Snoop]

My guess about snipping leek roots short is to make it easier to get them in the hole. I've done mine the DD method again, but for assorted reasons I wasn't able to get them out at pencil-thick stage. I'm dreading trying to deal with the mess of roots I'll have and was thinking about clipping them a bit shorter. Don't want to kill the leeks though, or slow down their growth.

[DD.]

I clipped mine down to less than 1/2". They drop straight to the bottom of the hole. They'd rooted in 2 days.

[Salmo]

My guess is that a set of new roots is probably better than a jumbled mass shoved into the hole.

I also clip the tops a bit just to prevent them touching the ground and being pulled in by worms. I have had worms remove the keeks from their holes by pulling on leaves.

[DD.]

I also clip the top of mine, probably because my grandfather did it that way!

It may also help reduce moisture loss through transpiration while the leek makes its roots.

[Growster...]

My guess about snipping leek roots short is to make it easier to get them in the hole. I've done mine the DD method again, but for assorted reasons I wasn't able to get them out at pencil-thick stage. I'm dreading trying to deal with the mess of roots I'll have and was thinking about clipping them a bit shorter. Don't want to kill the leeks though, or slow down their growth.

Try gently separating them, long roots and all, and dipping each leek in a bucket of water just before you drop it in the dibbled hole.

The roots stick together for that crucial few seconds, and the added weight takes them to the bottom of the hole.

I did over 300 this way, and it really is worth the extra bit of effort.

[DD.]

Snip 'em I say.

They'll drop down further than if they've got a bundle of roots under them!

[Zippy]

Using the trenching method, you don't have to trim the roots as you place the leeks in the bottom of the trench and trowel over some soil to cover, then back-fill soil as the leeks grow.

And yes - that's me actually digging!

[Growster...]

Snip 'em I say.

They'll drop down further than if they've got a bundle of roots under them!

300 times about 1/2 inch = 12 and a 1/2 foot of blanched leek stem.

I'll go along with that DD, but it is a longer chore planting out - when it's starting to rain...

And getting dark...