this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks

On 02/07/2010 12:23, bob wrote:
this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks

If you've got a bud on the top it means the leek is running to
flower/seed. In other words it will become useless for eating - they put
a hard flower stem up the middle of the leek which is almost inedible.
Leeks tend to do this if they haven't had adequate watering. To get nice
fat leeks that don't run to seed keep them well watered. Maybe too late
now though, once they start running to flower breaking off the flower
bud seems to make little difference.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
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In article ,
David in Normandy wrote:
On 02/07/2010 12:23, bob wrote:
this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks

If you've got a bud on the top it means the leek is running to
flower/seed. In other words it will become useless for eating - they put
a hard flower stem up the middle of the leek which is almost inedible.
Leeks tend to do this if they haven't had adequate watering. To get nice
fat leeks that don't run to seed keep them well watered. Maybe too late
now though, once they start running to flower breaking off the flower
bud seems to make little difference.

Dig them up NOW and see if they have started to go woody; they may
still be OK, but won't be for long. The woodiness doesn't start
until after the flower stalk has developed, and they are perfectly
good until they do go woody. It's very obvious when you slice them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

David in Normandy wrote:
If you've got a bud on the top it means the leek is running to
flower/seed. In other words it will become useless for eating - they put

They're not actually that bad for eating if you don't mind losing the stalky
bit - it reduces the amount you get that is edible, but they're still ok for
soup. Although I suspect it means they won't store at all.

"bob" wrote
this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks

Haven't even planted ours out yet, still at the blades of grass stage.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 02/07/2010 14:12, Bob Hobden wrote:


"bob" wrote
this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks

Haven't even planted ours out yet, still at the blades of grass stage.



Mine are at the same stage.

I did an experiment last autumn and tried planting out some very late
leeks - they were the size of blades of grass over Winter. They have
remained small and just run to seed over spring/early summer. So they
didn't like their normal season being messed with.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On 02/07/10 11:23, bob wrote:
this is our first attempt at growing leeks and they are now about 1ft
tall and they have what looks like a bud on the top,should we remove
this or leave well alone,many thanks


When did you plant them out?