Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Growing leeks in pots

eyeball_kideyeball_kid Posts: 13
in Fruit & veg
Hi all,

Due to a last minute planting change of heart I have used the place where I was going to plant leeks and may not be able to fit them in anywhere else in my beds.

Has anyone grown leeks in pots and if so, how deep do the containers need to be?

Thanks!!

Posts

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    I have grown them in tubs, as for size, it depends on the variety and your preference.  I grow Autumn Giant and find 18" is plenty but the watering needs attention especially while they are settling in. I always start mine off in the greenhouse before putting them in the tub but that is because I can't shift the tub once it is full of dirt  :D 
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    A year or two ago I discovered that if grown in root trainers, they can be kept in those for a lot longer than if sown in trays or modules, so I was able to wait until the potatoes were harvested, then re-used the ground for the leeks.  They developed masses of roots which were trimmed to about 1/3rd their length and then planted out in slightly larger and deeper dibber holes than usual.  Worked well.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    That sounds like a really good idea @BobTheGardener.

    I make my own root trainers out of newspaper, about 4-5" deep and 1-1.5" in diameter but I'm not sure they wouldn't disintegrate before I had lifted all the spuds.  I grow them in tubs to deter the slugs.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • eyeball_kideyeball_kid Posts: 13
    That does indeed sound like a good idea @BobTheGardener, with a bit of luck my leeks may be saved!!
Sign In or Register to comment.