Leek seed head mystery
 

Last spring I never got round to pulling up the last of the winter
leeks. They put up flowers. For months this summer, they have been
magnificent strong 4ft-high stems with huge globular purple flowers; so
handsome and attractive (to people and insects) that I'm going to do
the same next year.

I've been waiting for the seeds to ripen, which they're not yet.
Meanwhile, on just one or two of the seed-heads, something odd has
happened. From the place in the middle where the individual
flower-stalks grow out of, lots of little green sprouts have emerged,
several inches long; at the base of each stem is a tiny round green bulb
like a baby onion. They're firmly attached to the parent.

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form? Why do they look like
minute onions not straight and narrow like seedling leeks?

I picked off a few of these green babies, shoved them into the soil and
they're growing away happily. Will they overwinter successfully, to be
leeks next year?

Janet.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

Last spring I never got round to pulling up the last of the winter
leeks. They put up flowers. For months this summer, they have been
magnificent strong 4ft-high stems with huge globular purple flowers; so
handsome and attractive (to people and insects) that I'm going to do
the same next year.

I've been waiting for the seeds to ripen, which they're not yet.
Meanwhile, on just one or two of the seed-heads, something odd has
happened. From the place in the middle where the individual
flower-stalks grow out of, lots of little green sprouts have emerged,
several inches long; at the base of each stem is a tiny round green bulb
like a baby onion. They're firmly attached to the parent.

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form? Why do they look like
minute onions not straight and narrow like seedling leeks?


Cross-pollination? Reverting to type?

Basically I don't know, any more than you do, but I will be watching next
year for the results. You may have bred something new!

Steve

Janet Baraclough wrote:

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form?

I can offer a theory, based on considerable dilletantese in garlic:

Sounds like your seed heads have also made some "topsets," common in
hardneck garlic and many onion varieties. If planted and nurtured, they'll
likely make leek plants.

I agree, by the way- leek blossoms stand on their own as nice flowers.
That's pretty much what "flowering allium" plants are selected to do.

I've been growing my own leek seed for several generations now, though I've
never got anything but regular seeds growing on the heads.

It's more than a little off-topic, but there's a biggish garlic festival an
hour or so south of me weekend after next in Saugerties, (New) York. I
plan on a stinking good time!

Cheers from the colonies!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

In message , Janet Baraclough
writes

Last spring I never got round to pulling up the last of the winter
leeks. They put up flowers. For months this summer, they have been
magnificent strong 4ft-high stems with huge globular purple flowers; so
handsome and attractive (to people and insects) that I'm going to do
the same next year.

I've been waiting for the seeds to ripen, which they're not yet.
Meanwhile, on just one or two of the seed-heads, something odd has
happened. From the place in the middle where the individual
flower-stalks grow out of, lots of little green sprouts have emerged,
several inches long; at the base of each stem is a tiny round green bulb
like a baby onion. They're firmly attached to the parent.

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form? Why do they look like
minute onions not straight and narrow like seedling leeks?

I picked off a few of these green babies, shoved them into the soil and
they're growing away happily. Will they overwinter successfully, to be
leeks next year?

Janet.

Presumably these are bulbils. I hadn't heard of these with leeks, but
some other Alliums do produce them.

I can't help with your other questions.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"michael adams" replied after

"Janet Baraclough" wrote

Last spring I never got round to pulling up the last of the winter
leeks. They put up flowers. For months this summer, they have been
magnificent strong 4ft-high stems with huge globular purple flowers; so
handsome and attractive (to people and insects) that I'm going to do
the same next year.

I've been waiting for the seeds to ripen, which they're not yet.
Meanwhile, on just one or two of the seed-heads, something odd has
happened. From the place in the middle where the individual
flower-stalks grow out of, lots of little green sprouts have emerged,
several inches long; at the base of each stem is a tiny round green bulb
like a baby onion. They're firmly attached to the parent.

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form? Why do they look like
minute onions not straight and narrow like seedling leeks?

...

They're pips or bulbils and are deliberately cultivated by show growers
as a means of propagating prize strains. They'd probably be cossetted
and over-wintered under cover.


michael adams

...


I picked off a few of these green babies, shoved them into the soil and
they're growing away happily. Will they overwinter successfully, to be
leeks next year?

Michael is quite right, the biggest and best show leeks are often grown from
pips. I've tried it myself and yes you will get good leeks next year but you
need to pot them up as they grow and look after them over winter, cosset
them even.
These pips are so sought after I had one head covered in superb pips stolen
from my allotment a couple of years ago, neatly cut off it was.
The blue heads are also good for flower arranging btw. The smell can be got
rid of in the normal florists way by standing them in a weak solution of
bleach for a couple of hours.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

Last spring I never got round to pulling up the last of the winter
leeks. They put up flowers. For months this summer, they have been
magnificent strong 4ft-high stems with huge globular purple flowers; so
handsome and attractive (to people and insects) that I'm going to do
the same next year.

I've been waiting for the seeds to ripen, which they're not yet.
Meanwhile, on just one or two of the seed-heads, something odd has
happened. From the place in the middle where the individual
flower-stalks grow out of, lots of little green sprouts have emerged,
several inches long; at the base of each stem is a tiny round green bulb
like a baby onion. They're firmly attached to the parent.

If these are germinated seeds, why are they not attached to the
flower-end of the stalk where the seeds form? Why do they look like
minute onions not straight and narrow like seedling leeks?

I picked off a few of these green babies, shoved them into the soil and
they're growing away happily. Will they overwinter successfully, to be
leeks next year?

Janet.
~~~~~~~~
These pips are asexually produced. The very best strains produce the
most as that is the way they were selected.
I never used seeds for my leeks ~~ having initially bought a couple of
fully grown surplus show leeks~~after the show!!.
Pips guarantee a much better result and I understood was the only way to
grow specimen ,show, leeks.
Best Wishes Brian.

The message
from "michael adams" contains these words:



They're pips or bulbils and are deliberately cultivated by show growers
as a means of propagating prize strains.

Ah, they'd be identical to the parent

They'd probably be cossetted
and over-wintered under cover.

Thanks, I'll pot some up.

Janet

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

Michael is quite right, the biggest and best show leeks are often
grown from
pips. I've tried it myself and yes you will get good leeks next year
but you
need to pot them up as they grow and look after them over winter, cosset
them even.
These pips are so sought after I had one head covered in superb pips stolen
from my allotment a couple of years ago, neatly cut off it was.

Wish I hadn't told usenet now :-)

The blue heads are also good for flower arranging btw. The smell can be got
rid of in the normal florists way by standing them in a weak solution of
bleach for a couple of hours.

Thanks for that great tip, I shall try it tomorrow...they are lovely
apart from the smell

Janet