We had a lot of success with our leeks this our first year of growing
vegetables. The problem is that we still have a lot in the ground but they
are going to seed.

I don't want to dig them all up yet - no room in freezer for any more leek
soup(!). Should I leave the seed heads on or take them off and does the fact
that they are going to seed have any detrimental effect on the leeks
themselves?

Jeanne Stockdale

Jeanne wrote in message
We had a lot of success with our leeks this our first year of growing
vegetables. The problem is that we still have a lot in the ground but they
are going to seed.

I don't want to dig them all up yet - no room in freezer for any more leek
soup(!). Should I leave the seed heads on or take them off and does the
fact
that they are going to seed have any detrimental effect on the leeks
themselves?

You will find they have gone woody so won't be much use in the kitchen, BUT
they have beautiful flowers, just like some of the garden alliums so why not
dig up a few and put them in the back of your flower border. :-)
We leave them where they are to flower and use some of the heads in flower
arrangements and also sometimes you get "pips", a head that grows little
leeks, which can be pulled off gently, potted up, and grown on.
Bumble bees love the flower heads too.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existance.