HOW TO SUCCEED WITH LEEKS

Evening Star, Issue 22328, 2 May 1936, Page 23

HOW TO SUCCEED WITH LEEKS

Leeks are greatly appreciated vegetables on account of their mild flavour and mellowness. Their culture is very simple, provided they are grown in good, rich soil (says ‘ Popular Gardening,’ London). Seed must be ’sown as thinly as possible, and when the plants ai - e big enough they should be thinned so that there may be room for development and to prevent them becoming straggling before they are ready to transplant. Preparation of the soil they are to be transferred to is necessary. Dig it down to a good depth and break it up fine. Make trenches for the plants and water them well if this is necessary. Lifting the plants with a ball of soil adhering to the roots (water the seed bed some hours beforehand to help in this direction), and placing them immediately in their positions helps to prevent a transplanting setback. Put them in 9in or 10in apart, and cover with soil; earth up as for celery. At no time must leeks be allowed to suffer from dryness, and during the growing period growth will be greatly expedited by frequent applications of weak liquid manure. As they grow keep earthing them up so that blanching may be assured to a good length. Another method of transplanting is to make holes with the dibber and drop the plants into them, putting in a very little soil, say, lin or Sin deep, into Sin holes. Water them in, when a little extra soil will bo carried down, and leave thus so that air gets down to the roots. The opening allows the stems to thicken, and at the same time they are blanched. ’

Some of the best varieties are: Large Musselburgh, one of the best and biggest and one of the hardiest, producing thick, pure-white blanches; Lyon, a very fine variety which attains great size and weight, without coarseness; and Challenger, which blanches to a great length when given good cultivation.