Did I transplant my leeks correctly?

[antipodes]

For those of you that have looked on my blog, you will know that I did a massive transplanting-pricking out session. This included the leeks that I had basically sowed in flowerpots and then needed to thin out. I guess I didn't really expect them to grow!!
What I did was -

• I got a big water bottle and cut it in half (about 15 cm high).
• I leaned it on its side and put a layer of soil down (potting mix).
• I then lay a group of baby leeks down, leaving a centimetre or so between each one. Then I added another layer of soil and started again. This let me prick out the seedlings without trying to slide them into vertical holes.

Do you think this will work? Does anyone else do it this way? The soil is a bit lopsided but on the whole it looks OK, I have about 20-30 leeks in each big tub (comes from a 5 litre bottle so it is about 20 x 20 cm). I suppose I might have to repeat this if they get a lot bigger, for now they are just grassy looking bits but the roots are already quite impressive!!

[antipodes]

[Tee Gee]

Seems a lot of trouble to go to. I think I would have let them develop a bit more then thinned them out.

I assume you did it this way to protect them. Faced with your situation I would have  probably have used a tray or box e.g tomato / fruit box and thinned them out into this.

This how I do mine;these were sown on the 1st April this year and I took the picture a few minutes ago just to show the state of play.



A closer look;

[Eristic]

I use cut down polystyrene boxes from the greengrocers or empty fish boxes from the chippie shop. They are nice and deep and it is easy to dibble a hole with a suitable stick to drop each seedling in.

[betula]

That looks a great idea. :)

[raisedbedted]

I'm feeling quite inadequate now.

All I do is sow direct into a tall pot of about 8" high and 6" diameter.  Put about 30 seeds in each pot.  This year I have 5 such pots.

Leave them in there until June time when the first earlies come out the ground then seperate all the seedlings and dib holes for each one.

Have never had any problems, havent won any medals but then I've never entered any competitions either.

RBT

[sarah]

I'm feeling quite inadequate now.

All I do is sow direct into a tall pot of about 8" high and 6" diameter.  Put about 30 seeds in each pot.  This year I have 5 such pots.

Leave them in there until June time when the first earlies come out the ground then seperate all the seedlings and dib holes for each one.

Have never had any problems, havent won any medals but then I've never entered any competitions either.

RBT

this is exactly what i do to and they work fine.  ;)

[antipodes]

hmmm my problem is:
1) I don't have any type of greenhouse or garage or anything, just inside the flat. So space is quite a problem. I couldn't have done TeeGee's one-leek per module lark  ;)
2) I didn't think that they would have developed more in the little flowerpots, so I thought it best to move them because I was worried that they would perish otherwise - I wasn't expecting to have so many!!

Oh well, if it doesn't work I will head off to buy plants but since you all seem so clever at making things from seed I wanted to start doing that more, as plug plants seems to look more and more like cheating  ;D

BTW!! The very unpleasant elderly lady on my allotment site (who I will refrain from calling an old bag - ooops too late) who always seems to have tons of veg on the go (she is down there all the time), well I suspect she is guilty of cheating too! Her plants always seem curiously uniform in size and shape and the other day I noticed a little planting tag the same as the ones from the plug plant packets from the local garden centre!! So now I feel smugly virtuous by slogging away with all me seedlings! Aren't I wicked!

[bupster]

Crikey, I just sow outside into a drill then transplant. Not much room inside so toms etc get first call on space.

[Old bird]

Snap!  Bupster!

[Tee Gee]

plug plants seems to look more and more like cheating

On the contrary and no offence taken but  all I have done is take a leaf out of the 'commercial peoples' book.

I find with this system I can just grow enough to meet my needs and make a number of savings, not least of which I find a packet of seed can last me for a few years.

When you consider I grow in excess of 2000 plants each year space is always at a premium, so I don't want to take up the space with excess plants.

Then when it comes to 'pricking out' I find the task much easier and beneficial i.e. very little if any root disturbance is involved which generally means greater and speedier success.

Because of this faster growing technique I can sow later thus saving on heat, plus day length is longer so I suffer less from 'drawn' plants.

Similarly I often sow biennial & perennial seeds in January rather than say the previous Sept-Nov this again saves me the need to over winter protection and its cost.

If I ever buy commercial plants it is for an ulterior motive i.e. I generally only buy stuff that I can take cuttings from thus increasing my stock by planting out time.

A classic example last year was I bought a collection of 6 Surfinia which were delivered in February by planting out time I had a stock of 48.

So for around £6 I get about £50 worth of plants.

I was just reading a couple of gardening magazines this lunch time and had a look at some of their 'Special Offers' and my comment to my wife was that out in my coldframes I had thousands of pounds worth of stock at these sort of prices.

So you see that although my methods might seem over the top it means I can have my cake and eat it.

I don't know about you people but I think 'gardening produce' is becoming a bit of a rip off hence my reason for growing the way I do.

I also find it saves my son & daughter going to the garden centre and paying those astronomical prices.

In fact a couple on the allotment have asked me to grow their tomatoes, peppers, dahlias & chrysants for them this year.

Which leads me to a question; what do you think would be a fair price for say 6 each of the afore mentioned plants, bearing in mind they will be in 3" pots, hardened off and ready for planting out.

I'll get of my soapbox now  ::)


By the way now do you see why I don't think 'plug growing' is cheating ;D

[saddad]

It's almost impossible to get leeks wrong....
;D

[davyw1]

I tend to go over the top when sowing my leek seed, a very complicated method called  "hoyer them in the pot"

[silverbirch]

I start mine off in a 3 1/2" pot, then prick out in to modules like Tee Gee as soon as I can handle them.

Actually, I do everthing that way apart from big seeds like beans and squashes.

[davyw1]

QUOTE TEE GEE [ Which leads me to a question; what do you think would be a fair price for say 6 each of the afore mentioned plants, bearing in mind they will be in 3" pots, hardened off and ready for planting out.}

In our local florist they were knocking Surfinia out at £1. 25 a plant I sold them at 60p

TEE GEE Have you never tried keping some back as stock plants for the following year

[Eristic]

I find it better management of space by growing leeks and similar hardy plants early so that they get to be a good size and robust enough to be kicked outside as soon as pressure builds for space under cover. One box of leeks has been moved outside this evening with the other to follow next week.

Several people here are trying too hard with the leeks and treating them like baby orchids but this is not necessary. Scatter a pinch of seeds in a 3" pot, stir them up a bit and leave them to germinate. Once they are all up and running, soak the pot, tip it out and bang the root ball down in an empty bowl or plastic lid. This should split them up enough to pull apart and pick up individually by the tip and plant into a tray. Takes no time at all.

If anyone is worried, grow a pot of radish and practice pricking out. All you need is a little stick or a pencil.

[Sparkly]

QUOTE TEE GEE

In our local florist they were knocking Surfinia out at £1. 25 a plant I sold them at 60p

TEE GEE Have you never tried keping some back as stock plants for the following year

£1.25 for 1 leek??? Are they having a laugh?

[star]

QUOTE TEE GEE

In our local florist they were knocking Surfinia out at £1. 25 a plant I sold them at 60p

TEE GEE Have you never tried keping some back as stock plants for the following year

£1.25 for 1 leek??? Are they having a laugh?

No Sparkly :D Tee Gee is talking about a Surfinia selling for that price ;)

[Thegoodlife]

i plant mine direct in the soil wait until 4" to 6" then lift them around july place in a bucket of water give the roots a wash. trim the roots & the tops & replant in there final position using my good old dibber water well in, been using this method for 12 years and not one problem.

[Tee Gee]

TEE GEE Have you never tried keping some back as stock plants for the following year

Normally I do but somehow a couple of years ago I lost my stock so had to replace it.

Now to repeat my question;

what do you think would be a fair price for say 6 each of the afore mentioned plants,( tomatoes, peppers, dahlias & chrysants) bearing in mind they will be in 3" pots, hardened off and ready for planting out.

I am thinking in terms of;

Tomatoes, Peppers, £2 for six

Dahlias & Chrysants £2-50 for six

what do you think?

[Kea]

I'm with Raisedbedted and Sarah etc. Last year i got behind in planting out because of other things happening and the leeks didn't get transplanted until end of August...they taste great though.