Advice on spring onions and leeks

[wheatleys wheels]

This is another vegetable I love to eat but struggle to grow. I'm wanting to see if I can get ahead of myself next year and see if anyone can offer advice on growing these.

I plant the seeds... I've tried pots, and straight into the ground and in little seeding pots to plant out later. And every year I get something from them but every little thing is weeny, and thin. They never get big and fatter. Any ideas why?

[Duronal]

have you enhanced your soil at all? Perhaps a good dollop of manure/compost and a sprikling of fish blood and bone a few months before planting would help?

if you have then think about the aspect of where you're trying to grow is there any way to increase light levels? white boards behind beds etc etc.

[butter fingers]

i to cant seem to grow spring onions.they get to blade of grass size and that seems to be it.i have even tried planting in some guttering to bring them on to transplant or leave as is.
i bought my leeks as plugs which were blade of grass size and these all grew and have grown realy quick so far.if i can get to the allotment im going to pick a couple to eat as some are the size of onion stems already.

[A Life Less Simple]

It does sound like you need to put manure down

[Wren]

I found spring onions to be a bit of a pain to start with, but feeding them and adding nutrients in the form of a top dressing of home grown compost got them shifting. They need to be fed and the more you improve the feeding regime the better they will be .

Wren

[wheatleys wheels]

Every year I put down new compost on the grounds and mix in some of my compost/wormery material to give what nutrients I can. And throughout the growing season I also put down liquid feeds.

[sqweek01]

That would explain my leeks too, they're like spring onions!

Duronal, you say add a touch of manure/compost/fish blood & bone. Is there any harm in adding the fish, blood & bone now?

Regards
Clare

[wheatleys wheels]

I guess the compost I've been using could be short on nutrients. Either that or maybe my garden just doesn't get enough sun. I get sun but I wonder if it's enough.

[colser]

i always start both in troughs that i keep of the ground (so they don't get chomped by slugs and snails when the new shoots appear.)
once they are about 2-3 inches i then plant them on my patch, usually in a well composted or manured area. i tip out the trough, dig a trench and fill with the plntas and soil from the trough. try not to disturb the roots when doing this, although i've not noticed many failures when i've been a bit careless.
plant spring onions every month (except from november to feb) and you should be able to have a supply all year round. (if i can anyone can ))

[colser]

ps my plot gets very little direct sunshine as it's shaded by flats and trees from about 10am to mid afternoon and they don't seem to mind much

[Protea]

Leeks need quite a long time in the ground, be patient! sow in early spring into trays or pots (under glass if you have it), prick out at the 'crook' stage when they look like litle shephers crooks, grow on until pencil thickness then plant out into final positions. Dib a hole, trim straggly roots and foliage and pop them in. water the hole but don't fill with soil. Earth up to extend the white shank if you can be bothered.

As others have said soil prep is essential, add manure/compost/Growmore granular fertiliser in spring/autumn.

Hope this helps a little bit.