Medwyn Williams is getting ahead of the game with leeks
I’m peeling away leek bulbils from stock plants to start them under cover
Show leeks ideally need starting into growth over winter, and now that the central heating engineer has checked my oil heater in the greenhouse fires properly and consistently, and I’ve cleaned the 400-watt lamps with a soft dry cloth for maximum clarity, I’m all set to go!
Despite the hot weather, my stock leek heads have done really well and it’s now time to start peeling the bulbils from the heads and prick them out into trays or cells. I split open the leek heads with a knife and usually quarter them as well so I can gently peel away the bulbil from the core of the head. If handled too roughly inevitably you’ll leave part of the young root plate behind. Although the bulbil might root, it’ll probably keel over later without a fully developed root plate.
I make sure that the centre of the leek head is clean without a trace of browning – the bulbils need to be as pearly white as possible to ensure a quick rate of growth. The cleaned bulbils are ready for striking and I use 60 cells in a full-sized seed tray filled with Humax Multi-Purpose Original growing medium. This compost contains silver sand and top soil, and seems to sustain the plants for longer before I need to liquid feed them.
We sell a range of leeks as rooted bulbils and also as premium plants next spring for growers without heat and lights. ‘Llanedwen’ from Ivor Mace is our latest, which grew to almost 30cm (1ft) at 4in (10cm) above soil level this year. I also have ‘Pendle Improved’, ‘Welsh Seedling’ and ‘CSC’ (‘Cumbrian Sammy Cross’) pot leek. l For a catalogue visit www. medwynsofanglesey.co.uk. You can also you can follow me on Twitter @medwynsofangles.