"michael" wrote in message
On 22 Sep, 14:39, "Bertie Doe" wrote:
"michael" wrote in message

My allotment is on gritty acid soil and I crop from mid Nov thru to mid
May.
I plant seed in 2" deep trays on the windowsill in mid May and transfer
them
out when they are 1" tall. I keep them in the trays until 1st Aug.

I transplant them onto the allotment on the 1st August. About half the
150
or so plants are Musselburgh and I'll expect half a dozen will go to
seed,
but this won't be until May '09. I plant into last years potato patch,
which
would have been manured the previous Winter. The plants aren't
patricularly
large, but there are lots of em'. I'm guessing here, but I would suggest
delay planting and use compost from the heap, rather than manure. Any
thoughts?

Bertie

Maybe you have the answer.When you say you plant seed in 2" trays and
then transfer them out,do you mean into modules or other 2" trays but
more widely spaced?Do you then keep them(outside I assume)in these
planted out trays until August?I have been planting out in May/June
but have never thought of putting them in as late as August.What do
you use the ground for after your leeks come up in,say June 09?
regards,michael

I sow the seed into 2" deep trays. The trays are salvaged from supermarket
meat trays, say 2 x 7 x 9. I puncture holes in the bottom, then place them
in one of those long windowsill trays, say 9" x 18".

Sow them in mid-May, transfer the trays to the backyard in Mid-June to
harden off. Make sure they get some sun on them and keep them watered. By
mid-August, they should be about 9" tall, remove them from the trays and
plant them into the ground.

I'll be cropping from Nov 08 thru to May 09. I start off about 20 luttuce
seedlings in the greenhouse. As space becomes available in the leek plot, I
transplant the luttace into the leek plot and start off another 20 lettuce.

Bertie