Starting leeks inside

[GingerKatieSparkles]

OK, I've left this a bit late, but looks like my outside seedbed is just not happening - not yet prepared and it's snowing - and I need to get some leek seeds started off (about 6 weeks ago it seems - ah well). What can I plant them in indoors/in the greenhouse? How much space do they need before they get to planting out size - to hand I've got a choice of seed tray, 2ish cm module tray (not sure if these will be deep enough) or 9cm pots (bit of a waste for 1 mini-leek each?). Plus obviously general household "stuff"...

[ina]

Mine are sitting in a small seed tray. And I once bought them in a similar container, too - so must be approximately right!

[Enormous Sage]

Yes, I started mine in a seed tray last year and they worked well (about this time of year I seem to recall)
I started most of my veggies in seed trays, just be careful not to let them get to "leggy" before planting them out, and harden them off in a cold frame.

[Green Rosie]

You can also get late varieties of leeks that are sown much later (and save the early one for next year)

[CaundleMama]

My dad lives with us & is battling at the mo to decide whats going in the kitchen garden here & whats going up the field.We had leeks in both places last year simply due to moving here in May & anything went where it landed the plan was to start them off in the kitchen garden & transplant but now theres not enough room so today he decided to plant them into wee pots to stand in the greenhouse until big enough to go up the field(where the bg vegetables play )

[Thurston Garden]

GKS - sow them fairly thinly in a seed tray and they will be fine - thin them out a little if they come through too thick. Just plant them outside when they are almost as thick as a pencil.

You won't be too late, but as Green Rosie suggests, if you have not bought your seed yet, opt for a later variety just to make sure.

Here's mine in the three trays middle right. (Along with Annpan's Mystery Plants in the 12 cells next to the toilet roll tubes - still no idea what they are!)



The photo was taken last week and today most of the seedlings are trying to unfold themselves and stand up straight

[Millymollymandy]

I sow my leeks outside in about mid April. Who says they should be sown in mid February? My packet says April to May!

In a lot of places the soil would be frozen solid at that time of year or if not, far too wet to be prepped and raked to a fine tilth for sowing!