QUESTION TIME
GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP
ARE MY LEEKS A LOST CAUSE?
I seeded some leeks in a bucket last year but due to illness I didn’t get around to planting them out. Is it possible to overwinter the young plants?
Fanny Parkins, Norwich
PICTURE CREDIT: iStock Stefan Sutka
STEVE SAYS:
There is certainly no need to waste your young leeks. You could simply continue to grow them on in the bucket. Under cover is probably best or outside in a sheltered position since although they are perfectly hardy, the roots may freeze in a container in a very hard winter. If you do this without planting out, you could harvest the first plants as baby leeks and simply leave some in the bucket to grow on to full size.
Alternatively, you could overwinter them in the bucket and plant out in the spring in the normal way as the soil warms and dries out a little. You could try planting now if you are in a sheltered/ mild spot, but the soil is so cold and wet in most areas they may struggle to establish.