[DD.]

Now hang on, was it not your good self that said it was extra effort to wash the leek roots before planting, rather than trimming?

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.

When I plant, I get hold of a handful straight from the tray, then snip, snip - about 30 prepared on one go!

[Growster...]

You must have been listening to Mrs Growster and me discussing this just now DD!

Yup, agree about the washing, but the extra bit of bending, picking up scissors, etc is more time consuming than soaking the bunch in a bucket (like they do in the video as Mrs G reminds me).

But, I take your point about snipping a bunch, so I'll try that next year, that's if we ever finish the chat on this subject ;0)

Actually, we don't like earthing up too much as they got pretty dirty last time!

[DD.]

You grab a handful, a couple of snips and it's done!

However, if you want to haute coiffure each one seperately - that's your look out! 

[Zippy]

But if you trench instead of dibble you don't need to snip anything just place in the trench at spacings and trowel some soil over the roots to cover.

If I dibble in my sandy soil the hole is nearly back-filled before I place the leek so trenching is the best way for me.  Even if wetted first the hole fills in very quickly and defeats the object of dibbling.

I guess they'll always be trenchers and dibblers!

[8doubles]

Anyhow,  i thought it was dibbing with a dibber.................Dibble is the cop in Top Cat !

[DD.]

I didn't like to say!

[Growster...]

I didn't take long to bring Officer Dibble into the discussion now did it...

So we're down to 'trenchers', 'snippers', 'soakers' and another one I haven't mentioned 'pokers', as the dry roots (pre-soaking, or if there's no water handy for the last few), need a gentle prod with a stick to get them in the right place...

And there are also 'liner-uppers' (as mentioned above), and 'top cutters' (those who shorten the tops by a third...)

And I've never got them as thick as a pencil either...

And 'The Growster foot dibbler' automatically spaces them by positioning the outer tines over the previous hole.

[Growster...]

And 'Pipers' - those who stand a drain pipe over a leek and gradually backfill the soil until the leek is about 18" tall!

Actually, I've got a few lurking around, I might try that for an experiment...

[mumofstig]

This is beginning to sound like a Monty Python sketch 

[JayG]

This is beginning to sound like a Monty Python sketch 

Actually I'm a troweller rather than a dibber, partly because I don't have a dibber, but mainly because I have sandy soil like Zippy, and the hole needs to be bigger than dibber or it falls in too quickly! 

......and now for something (probably!) completely the same! 

[Salmo]

Dibber is a posh name for a stick.

The truth is that as long as leeks achieve pencil size before transplanting they will take a lot of abuse and still produce a crop, in spite of what is done to them.

[8doubles]

Dibber is a posh name for a stick.

A Dibber is usually your favourite fork/spade after putting just a bit too much pressure on it.

Levering out shrub roots is a good way to make dibbers!

[Plottered]

Dibber is a posh name for a stick.

The truth is that as long as leeks achieve pencil size before transplanting they will take a lot of abuse and still produce a crop, in spite of what is done to them.

how about thin pencil size? 

[arugula]

Yes Plottered, that's OK too. If they can survive planting out at smaller than pencil sized up here and grow big, strong and tall, then you'll be fine.

[Plottered]

thanks Argyllie...im reassured.