THE GARDEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23259, 21 July 1945, Page 3

THE GARDEN

Growing Good Leeks Leeks form a valuable winter vegetable, and a few notes on their culture may not come amiss these days when little can be done in the garden. Leeks require an open, sunny position and will not do well in shade or under the drip of trees. The soil should be deeply dug with plenty of manure and good drainage. Although they require a good deal of moisture during the growing season, they Will not tolerate stagnant water. If your leeks are thin, stringy and strongly’ flavoured they are suffering from bad cultivation. • The seeds should be sown in drills in rows six inches apart and kept moist and free from weeds. When the seedlings are ready for thinning this is best done in two or three operations. Tire best results are obtained from transplanted plants. Those from a September sowing should be ready to go to their permanent quarters immediately after the Christmas holidays. One of the best methods is to make holes with a deep dibber nine inches deep in rows 15 inches apart. The holes arc filled with a mixture of rich soil and the leek planted therein. This necessitates earthing up to blanch the stems before use. Another method is to plant the young leeks in the bottom of the holes, watering them in and taking great care that the plants are not covered up and drowned. As the season advances hoeing and cultivation will fill up the holes, and by the time the leeks arc ready for the table they are blanched to a length corresponding to the depth of the original hole. Some growers simply plant in rows in the ordinary way and draw up the soil around them towards the end of th" season. The ground should be dug thoroughly during the winter and. early’ in August, should be given a dressing of two parts superphosphate to one of sulphate of potash at the rate of 2oz to one square vard. A similar dressing of blood and bone manure should be given at planting time, and these two mixtures should be applied at the same rate alternately, at monthly intervals during summer and autumn. Copious watering should be given if necessary.