Grow Your Own Magazine

hi,

i would like to start my leeks off - what is the best way for sowing them?

i have never done leeks before.

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I Usually sow them in a small seed tray or 5" Half pot and lighlty cover with Vermiculite then prick them out when big enough, But a friend of mine just sows them onto some garden soil in 8" pots and leaves the to it till planting time.

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i started mine off in jiffiy pots in greenhouse, no sign yet.

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mine are started in a bucket with soil / compost mix and then grown to planting out size, monty don did this on gardeners world last year.

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now in blog form ! UPDATED 01 / 04 / 08

I wasn't planning on doing anything with mine until April... am I leaving it too late?

pjh

pjh
Hi
I've got quite a few varieties of leeks to sow and the seed packets all carry different timings from Jan to April, it looks like the bigger you want them the earlier you sow.
However I'm back to the drawing board, my Porvite Winter Giant leeks ended up on the floor three times thanks to my kitten upending the propagator, the last time I lost most of them, the few seedlings I saved I potted on and took up to the allotment - out of harms way I thought, then the mice got in the greenhouse and rooted through my leek seedlings looking for more pea and bean seeds to eat.
So i'm trying again....
Sue

Last year I sowed mine in a 4" pot, spaced out a bit, and just left them till planting time as I don't need too many. May try cell trays this year. You can also sow them in the open and then transplant, but I lose too many if I do it that way. Prefer to start most things off in the propagator or cold greenhouse.

ditto.
I do a batch early Feb for autumn use and another in late-March, those usually go in after the early spuds for winter use. They have a long growing season but the monsters, impressive as they may be, are always stringy and tough, better for the kitchen when smaller.

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Paul

30 seeds in a 6" pot. Keep moist but generally forget about them because they take AGES! Once pencil thick transplant to the plot.

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I usually do mine in a half size seed tray. Spread them as thinly as I can and then put them in the cold frame and try to forget them till the early spuds have come out!

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I sow mine in 5" pots as this gives them a bit more soil for root formation. I have two lots through Mussleburgh and Malabar for early leeks from Aug onwards. I will grow a couple more varieties at end of March for winter use. I have never had a problem with leeks not being tender no matter how large they get. I think the secret is to grow plenty so that you only have to use the tender centers of the leek. I dont use much of the green bit at all.

Hi this is my first time here so here goes.

I plant me leeks in 5" pots early Feb an a green house , at present they are about 4 - 5 inches high and doing fine .
Works for me

Hi and welcome to the vine Iaind4. which type of leeks are you growing? I am off to sow my musselburgh shortly. Been sowing loads of stuff today.

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I'm adding this useful link on growing leeks for future reference. It tells you everything, almost I hope .

How to grow your Leek Vegetable.

I think for me it's still early yet for sowing as I only want them as winter and spring veggies when there's practically nothing much to eat from the garden. Even if you can harvest from Autumn onwards (with early sowing), I'm afraid there might be too many other vegetables to compete with leeks .

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I sowed a few seeds to get a couple of earlies in those little plastic module thingys (about 2" I reckon) and they're growing away great guns. I was going to transplant into bigger pots any day now, but do I take it there's no need then? Should I just leave them where they are, harden them off a bit, and plant out when they're pencil thickness? Wont the modules be too small for them way before then?

Second question - from what I'm reading, would you NOT recommend direct sowing into a raised lottie bed for my main crop in early April?

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Thanks shirlthegirl, musselburgh leeks is what ive done this year . They were good last year so i thought id give them another go.

What is the latest you sow them for winter/spring harvest please. Little space left, but would love later crop

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I'd say sow them before the end of March, unless you're in the south - then you'll get away with end of April prob - they don't grow very quickly (if at all) once the frosts start, so you want them at a useable size before then. But if you don't have any space, you can sow them in pots, trays or modules and plant them out when you harvest your early spuds or something like that.

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I sow my seeds in 4ins of compost in a seeds tray and then take them outside in may