Maximizing leeks.
8 years ago
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8 years agoRelated Discussions
Keeping seeds viable?
Comments (7)If you do put them in the fridge or freezer, be sure to put them in an airtight container and when you want to take them out, take the container out and let it sit on the counter and get to room temperature before opening so a bunch of condensation doesn't form on the cold seeds. Since I can't seem to resist messing with my seeds, I keep a supply in a box at room temperature that's enough for this year (or at least several months) and the rest go in the freezer. The idea is to not take out the freezer seeds very often (ideally no more than once a year to refill the seed box, but I doubt I'll ever be that organized). Also, there's a huge amount of variability in seed shelf life. So yes lettuce won't last very long at all while tomatoes can last 10 years, so don't feel too bad about that as there's not much you can do. However, keeping your seeds in consistently cold and dry conditions may help you squeeze another year or two out of those short-lived seeds. As a side note, I've ALWAYS had trouble with getting spinach to germinate. Is that just a hard plant or what? After a couple of years of trying I gave up and grow chard instead, using it instead of spinach in recipes. It's MUCH easier to grow and tastes similar enough. Also, the chard in my garden now is from a packet that was 6 years old and stored improperly in a hot garage and I planted them all thinking I'd be lucky if any germinated. This is why I now have about three times as much chard growing as I had originally wanted. I get the impression that spinach is just difficult to grow in warm climates like ours....See MoreRow Spacing With Drip Tape
Comments (4)We drip irrigate everything, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. I do not know what kind of main line you are going to run (poly tube or pvc) but I will give you the upsides and downsides to both. The poly tube main line is cheaper, that is the only upside to poly tube that I can think of. The down side is it is more work to install. You have to punch holes in it, which means if you want to rotate your plants next year with different spacing between your rows you need to use goof plugs to plug the old holes. Next thing is, if you consider your garden an extension of your backyard as I do, it doesnt look as nice. PVC is more expensive but well worth it in the end. It looks nice and professional. My husband spaced the tees coming off the main line every 6". That way when we decide to rotate our plants we have pvc plugs in the rows that are not used. Looks a more professional, which is what he was looking for. As far as planting 2 rows down the side of the drip tape, it works fine, but in my opinion you are not utitilizing the drip tape at its full potential, meaning you are using more water than what needs to be used. If you are on a water meter that is money out of your pocket. If you are on a well and water can get scarce during some parts of the summer then we like this way the best. Example of water use, lets say you plant radishes, they only need to be a few inches apart. When you use 12" on these rows the water has to be on for quite awhile to get all of your radishes in between, but if you used 4" drip tape on these rows as I do, I turn the water on for about 10 minutes because all my outlets are set near my plants. When you use 12" for your tomatoes, you are probably going to skip some outlets, make sure you plant something in the outlets you skipped, like lettuce or peppers, that way you do not waste the water and get more out of your garden. If you would like anymore information on this please feel free to email me at charleene@gisco.net....See Moreplanting garlic from cloves?
Comments (3)Chris, there's always a way to grow what you want. Growing up in Brooklyn, we grew herbs and veggies in flowerpots on the fire escape. When we moved to Queens I had a small patch (smaller than your current one) that was mine, for veggies. When we lived in Illinois I had a garden that was only 20 x 20 feet, not much bigger than yours. But you'd be surprised what you can grow in a space like that. Give some thought to intensive growing techniques and companion planting and you'll maximize the use of that space. I don't think I would grow both Shvelisi and Music. One or the other of those. On average, hardneck varieties produce about 60 cloves per pound. So you might take that into account for planning purposes. Given your space, I would think in terms of block planting, rather than row planting. And follow up the garlic with something like bush beans or brassicas....See Moretransplanting leeks
Comments (2)Leisa: Leeks are a little project. You're in zone 6, I'm in 7. I would say you could probably transplant these out very soon. Maybe hold off for two weeks or so just for growth. They are very cold hardy like most of the onion family. Leeks need to be planted deeply, and then soil mounded gradually over the roots/stems. Your goal is to maximize "white"; you don't want the whole plant exposed to the sun and developing chlorophyll. Same logic as white asparagus. They get big. I would space at least 6" apart. Water deeply when dry. Expect to harvest late Fall. Prof...See More
8 years agoI had to look up cockaleekie. Sounds delicious.
Love leeks. My last bunch were so big they would not fit in my crisper drawer without cutting in half. About halfway up the dark green tops, sometimes the inner core is tender and pale green. The dark tops are not bitter at all, just tough. Makes a fantastic stock. I made a leek top stock Monday night using all the tops rough sliced, with a few stalks of celery, a head of garlic cut in half...bay leaves, peppercorns, a star anice, a few cardamon pods, etc. I don't cover fully as the leaves cook down rather quickly. 3 hours is a good amount of time for a veg stock and limited by time so done by bedtime.
- 8 years ago
Garlic Leek soup. I need to put this on the menu soon. Weather is damp and cold...
I made it a few times in Jan-Feb.
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