Grow Your Own Magazine

New to the site as a poster although i have been reading and learning from it for some time. Me and a friend took on an allotment in march this year and have split it into 10 beds of different sizes. One bed has new potatoes which we have started harvesting. what can i put there once we have eaten them all up?

Hi Squashy,
I usually plant out my leeks where the spuds have been taken from. Happy Gardening and good luck with the allotment

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Overwintering brassica, leeks or prepare the ground for overwintering onions

wow that was a pretty quick reply..thanks very much

Ahhh! that's where the clever bit comes in...........having stuff available to fill a bed with another crop once you've emptied the first!

Clever cloggs me has got two different types of leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, Redbor and Tuscan kale and savoy cabbage all in large pots waiting to go in when other crops are harvested. Spring cabbage have still to be sown and japanese onion sets have yet to be purchased. Garlic and broad beans will also be sown a bit later.

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Yep, leeks for us too! Leeks follow spuds, red cabbage and spring cabbage follow the overwintering onions and garlic, along with pak choi! Overwintering Garlic, onion sets and broad beans follow on from sweetcorn, squashes and pumpkins! 2 sets of crops per bed would be the ideal, but as long as we're using as much as we can, then we're happy!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 3rd September 2008 - updated balance sheet!

I've got spuds in the garden (to be followed by Purple Sprouting Broccoli) and in the allotment (to be followed by leeks and Spring Cabbage.) As Snadger said, the secret's having them ready. You can sow Spring Cab in July, either in a seed bed (rake down your spud patch really well) or, as I prefer, in pots or modules. Then I can get the plants to a sufficient size to cope with The Big Wide World of the open ground.

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vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Sept 7th 2008

Re leeks in the potato beds. Is there any point in starting from seed now? It looks as if I'm too late but I just thought I'd ask.

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I was going to put leeks after my spuds, but then read in GYO that you shouldn't. But all of you do. Now I'm confused.......

Why shouldn't you?

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vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Sept 7th 2008

I've also got a shed load of brassicas and leeks to go in. I've put them into a seed bed until they are ready to go in. Interested as to why GYO says not to...

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Andrea :wavehello

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...logs/zazen999/

moon trial underway with onions, lettuce, tomatoes and calabrese.

Scarey - same question from me! I have some very tiny leeks in a seed tray but they wont fill my new tattie bed. Is it too late to sow more seeds now?

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i would also like to know the answer to this. Also, can you sow leeks straight into the ground?

GYO did not reccommend as it stated leeks prefer a firmer ground - ie not just dug up

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I sowed some leek seeds recently, they are just showing their faces now. I think you could sow leek seeds now, you'd just get a later crop - maybe a little bit smaller than earlier sowings, but I'm just guessing - I've never successfully grown anything over winter, I'm going at it full force this year!! Good luck!!!

Jennifer

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Whilst typing the above reply, I was probably supposed to be doing homework. My excuse: I'm hooked!

Depends what your soil's like then eh? Some people's 'just dug up' is other people's 'firm'! I've never had any problems with it - and it doesn't sound like others have.

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Sept 7th 2008

Thanks. Will get some seeds once the tatties are up and stick them in.

I've never heard that one! Brassicas prefer firm ground, but I've always found leeks quite happy in the recently excavated potato bed. I dig over, remove weeds, "shuffle" (walk over with my walking boots to firm the soil slightly), then make dibber holes and drop the leeks in. Water in and leave - no problems so far except I need to make the holes deeper this year.

I agree RL- Potato beds are just right for leeks. I think it helps to have well cultivated soil. I water it first so the dibber holes don't just collapse.

I suggest it would be pointless sowing leeks after midsummer.

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Paul

Yes you can, but you'll have to transplant them part way through to their permanent home, so best started in trays/pots. If you don't you get a lot of green leafy top but very little white below. When transplanting I always dib a nice large hole drop them in and fill the hole with water, never back filling with soil, as this stops the root from swelling and the worms, wind and watering will fill the hole eventually.

Thanks for the advice folks.

Anyone who has left it too late for sowing leeks may find some in their garden centre?

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“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
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RL (Or anyone else who knows about leeks ) - how big were the plants when you replanted them? Mine are currently in a seed tray and have stopped growing while still very very thin (sowed them a month ago now). I think I need to transplant them but am sure they're too tiny to go out on the plot yet, they're nowhere near pencil thickness? Plus, the bed is of course still full of early tatties.

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Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance