leeks

[tim]

OK - we've dealt with germination. Now the later bit.

Some say prick out, or pot up to 3" pots.
If they are in those 'till they are 8" high, they are going to have a very large root?

One reason you trim roots is to ensure that the whole thing gets to the bottom of the hole? You couldn't trim the roots of a 3" pot, and they certainly wouldn't fit into a dibbed hole? SO?

And when you buy leek plants in June, or whenever, they just have inch or so clean roots on them. Are these grown in seed beds?

I like to multi-sow in modules - esp with slim Jims like King Richard - and pull them young. Like with Spring Onions - so that you lift a s/market 'bunch' when needed.  = Tim

[tim]

[john_miller]

   Possibly practical on a garden scale? Remove the leeks from the pot and then dip the root ball in a bucket of water. Agitate if neccessary. Should wash enough of the soil off to expose the roots for trimming.
  Commercially available leeks are probably grown in seed beds, Tim, but I imagine that the soil has been made very friable to ease pulling. The roots would then get trimmed. They may well be grown under protection too.

[philcooper]

From what I know, the groing in 3" pots is to produce show quality leeks and they roots are planted whole with the stem being surrounded by material to prevent light turning the stem green.

The root cutting is to allow the plants to drop easily to the bottom of the hole with a few inches of the stem below ground level, also to prevent the bottom of the stem turning green.

I believe they are 2 completely separate techniques so mixing them defeats the point of using 3" pots

[kenkew]

I start my seeds off in trays. From there to garden. Dibber for a hole, leek roots trimmed, leek into hole, water to flood the hole with soil, that's it.
If you want exhibition leeks, transplant to 3" pots then to garden. Straight into the larger hole. Don't trim the roots.

[Palustris]

Only thing to add is that those roots which you trim will die back to the basal plate and a new one will have to be produced from there. Unlike some other plants alliums do not produce branching roots. So in theory if you cut off the roots you should also shorten the leaves to prevent excessive transpiration while the  new roots are developing.  You should aslo plant in such a way that the leaf fan is produced parallel to the row, so that you can hoe more easily. Never managed that myself though.

[budgiebreeder]

Oh dear i have never trimmed my leek roots.But have never done too badly with them .How much should i be trimming off???? I usually grow them in a pot then rinse under the tap to seperate.Hammer my dibber as far as poss then drop the leek in and water.Is this ok?or what?

[john_miller]

  If it ain't broke,BB, don't fix it.
 

[cleo]

I have not even sown my leeks yet,nor will I for a while. I sow in those open weave plastic baskets I got in Wilko`s years back-then plant out in a dipped hole and flood-no trimming of roots nor tops.

Stephan.

[Palustris]

Never trimmed my leek roots either, except any that are broken when getting out of the modules. And never had any trouble getting them into the dibbed hole. If your soil is ver light and sandy, then the trench and fill method as used for Celery might be an easier option.

[tim]

Yes, indeed!

1. I'm only talking about how to get a 3" pot root into a dibbed hole - as suggested for the ordinary grower - without trimming.
2. And one grows to 8" in a tray?? = Tim

[philcooper]

Tim,

I'm afraid you have to bow to the laws of physics - unless you have the mother of all dibbers, the 3" pot contents won't fit - this is why I say that growing in pots is not part of the dibbing out technique - it's used by exhibitionists who quite often grow them on in even larger pots ikn greenhouses.

This is why I believe they are exhibitionists and not gardeners

They also place stakes in the pots or have frames with wires to support the leaves

[Ceri]

don't the enthusiasts make a huge dibber out of an old spade shaft?

[philcooper]

Some of the things they get up to shouldn't be repeated on a family gardening list like this  ;)

I think you are thinking of the old technique for growing show parsnips and carrots, where a very large hole is made using a crow bar or the like and filled with sieved compost to ensure that the root does not have any reason to fork - this at least is done in the garden using soil - not in greenhouses using oil drums full of sand - call that gardening ???!!!!

[aquilegia]

Funny that - I was going to ask about pricking out leeks today!

I think mine are going to have to go in 3in pots as the 6in pot they are currently in is starting to get rather crowded - almost like a lawn!

[kenkew]

I've been potting fow the last couple of hours and I cast an eye on my leeks. Naw. They can wait a few days yet.

[tim]

This 3" business - 300 3" pots take one hell of a lot of compost?? = Tim

[Tenuse]

I have sown my leeks this weekend, a bit late probably! in a tray, I was going to let them grow in the tray until planting out time, make a pointy hole and drop them in. And then water a bit of earth around the roots. do I really have to trim the roots?

Ten x

[Doris_Pinks]

Have never trimmed mine Ten........they seem to do OK!  Some books say do trim, others say don't! Being lazy I go for the latter ;D

[tim]

So long as the roots get to the bottom of the hole, does it matter? = Tim

[Tenuse]

I was thinking about trying a few waxing techniques on them, how about it girls, a leeky "brazilian"?

Ten x