[leeks r us]

The way forward parttimer is you seed up your seed tray then transplant into individual modules when the leeks are at the crook stage, in doing this will minimize the check through root disturbance the plant will take, grow on in individual pots till your due to plant out. Once they are in the ground depends on the elements and feeding unless you are growing under plastic. hope this helps

[DD.]

That's not going to help this time though, is it?

A lot of members have reported back with success using the deep seed tray method and carefully spaced seeds. That minimises disturbance - there is none!

[Stratts]

Glad I saw this thread i've made the same mistake and sown my leeks in a shallow seed tray.  Time to move them on then methinks!!

Could also be the reason my onion seeds seem to have stalled I bet the roots have hit the bottom of the trays.

Live and learn 

[shokkyy]

A lot of members have reported back with success using the deep seed tray method and carefully spaced seeds. That minimises disturbance - there is none!

Mind you, the spacing didn't look to be very careful in John's tub, in his video about planting out leeks I followed his example this year and just chucked seed into a big deep tub.

[Yorkie]

I was given some leeks which had been started off in a tray shallower than a standard seed tray.

They all did fine.  I really wouldn't bother transplanting unless really necessary.

[And I've had two years of failure with the cat litter tray method / using one of those blue plastic mushroom baskets with paper lining, but don't tell DD  ]

[DD.]

That's not a cat litter tray!

[Yorkie]

But it's deep and equally water retentive 

[DD.]

So, what's the variable? 

[Yorkie]

I think it's the method 

Might resort to shallow tray next year 

[sunshineband]

A lot of members have reported back with success using the deep seed tray method and carefully spaced seeds. That minimises disturbance - there is none!

Mind you, the spacing didn't look to be very careful in John's tub, in his video about planting out leeks I followed his example this year and just chucked seed into a big deep tub.

Works just fine here -- two trays outside in the garden, one all posh and standing up(first ones planted) and one with just two leaves each that is looking a bit bashed in all the rain so am putting this one under cover outside until the wet weather passes.

Thanks for the tip a few years ago DD 

[parttimer]

The way forward parttimer is you seed up your seed tray then transplant into individual modules when the leeks are at the crook stage, in doing this will minimize the check through root disturbance the plant will take, grow on in individual pots till your due to plant out. Once they are in the ground depends on the elements and feeding unless you are growing under plastic. hope this helps

Sorry I missed this earlier.

Whats the crook stage?

This is quite a steep learning curve for me I'm fairly new to this growing from seed thing. I bought young plants last year (my first year with the plot).

[Salmo]

If you have planted them in shallow trays or modules and they have 2/3 leaves why not plant them in the ground. When they get pencil thick they can then be dibbed into holes.

I grow early leeks like that. The later leeks will be sown in a row directly into the ground as soon as the soil dries a bit. Sprinkle the leek seeds along the row, then sprinkle some spring onions along the same row. Both are treated the same way. Pull the spring onions when they are big enough (round leaves) and transplant the leeks (flat leaves) when they are pencil thick. Any excess leeks can be eaten as baby leels or put into salads.

[Auntiemogs]

The way forward parttimer is you seed up your seed tray then transplant into individual modules when the leeks are at the crook stage, in doing this will minimize the check through root disturbance the plant will take, grow on in individual pots till your due to plant out. Once they are in the ground depends on the elements and feeding unless you are growing under plastic. hope this helps

Sorry I missed this earlier.

Whats the crook stage?

This is quite a steep learning curve for me I'm fairly new to this growing from seed thing. I bought young plants last year (my first year with the plot).

The crook stage is when they haven't been up long and are doubled over, before they learn to stretch up (bit like me in the mornings  ). 

[DD.]

It's actually a little bit further advanced than that Auntiemoogs. It when the tip of the leek, (or onion), is just coming out of the soil and is starting to straighten up.

[strangerachael]

I know there will be a lot of disagreement about this but I swear by trimming the tops off regularly. I'm certain it helps to bulk them out.