Planting out Musselburgh leeks

[Marb67]

I haven't got round to planting these leeks out. Would it be better to pot on in larger container with some Vitax Q4 for a winter harvest in greenhouse as lack of sun in Winter and no space in border limits things?

[ameno]

Honestly, you'd be better off just eating them as-is.
Even in the greenhouse, it won't be warm enough for them to put on any worthwhile growth over winter, especially as those are a bit big to be splitting up at this point, so will end up sustaining a far bit of root damage. Then come the spring they will just start to flower.
Leeks need planting out by June or early July.

[Marb67]

Honestly, you'd be better off just eating them as-is.
Even in the greenhouse, it won't be warm enough for them to put on any worthwhile growth over winter, especially as those are a bit big to be splitting up at this point, so will end up sustaining a far bit of root damage. Then come the spring they will just start to flower.
Leeks need planting out by June or early July.

But if I add Vitax they should surely put on growth

[Mark Rand]

But if I add Vitax they should surely put on growth

There's very little sunlight from now on. They won't grow. Then in their second year they'll flower

[ameno]

But if I add Vitax they should surely put on growth

Fertiliser isn't some magic wand. It can't make up for lack of warmth and lack of light.

[Penellype]

I agree with the above comments from Mark Rand and ameno. To understand why it helps to know what plants need to grow and why.

The chemical reactions that support life work faster in warmer weather and slow down when it is cold. Unlike us, plant chemistry does not contain the same systems that keep us and other warm blooded animals at a constant temperature.
Aside from warmth, like us plants need oxygen and water to "breathe" and create energy (in a chemical form).
In order to convert the stored energy to growth, plants manufacture sugars using carbon dioxide from the air and water in a series of reactions collectively called photosynthesis, which is powered by sunlight. The less sunlight there is, the slower these reactions are. A by-product of these reactions is oxygen, which sustains most of the other life on the planet.
In order to manufacture proteins to make cells and power all the chemistry involved, certain other nutrients are required - these include nitrogen, phosphates and potassium (NPK) which can be added in the form of fertilizers. These can only help growth if all the chemical reactions above are working at a reasonable rate.
Other micronutrients are also needed and some fertilizers will include some of these, but normally there is enough present in the soil or compost - examples are calcium, magnesium and boron, but there are loads of others.

Biochemistry is complicated and the above is hugely simplified, but it explains why plant growth pretty much stops in winter.

[Marb67]

I'll put them in the greenhouse and hope they catch up before the sun is gone in a month or so.