I don't know whether you remember but at the end of last year I mentioned that I had been experimenting with the Allium family here. Instead of digging leeks up when I wanted to use them I began just cutting them off at the base. And it worked. After cutting off the parent leek I then had at least another four cuts from each leek plant. The picture below is the same leeks this year.
So I would say that the experiment worked - I haven't had the bother of sowing, transplanting, growing on, planting out etc. so I am well-chuffed. My aim was to try and get as many vegetables as I could to become perennial and if it didn't work I had lost nothing. I tried it with a container of pickling onions, not for the onions but for the tops to cut and add to dishes instead of chives. That sort of worked too.
These are the original pickling onions, one or two rotted, but as you can see some have divided and are still shooting. I will bring this pot into the greenhouse now to save them from the harshness of the weather. It has worked on spring onions and the garlic as well. I have also tried it with the celery.
Instead of digging up the whole celery plant I cut the sticks when I needed them, eventually just leaving the base of the plant. I left this in the ground, and as you can see it has started pushing new sticks out. I have covered the row with a mesh cloche for protection, and if it survives the winter I should be able to have a continuous perennial supply.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
very interesting about the leeks, my leeks came to nothing this year (long story based on my own stupidity) but I will remember this for next year.
ReplyDeleteDitto, Frugal Living.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone from a seed company's Marketing dept will read this... They might get worried if they did!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea. Anything that reduces the work in the garden, and space needed in the greenhouse, really helps. Thanks, Elaine.
ReplyDeleteI will certainly try your idea with my next batch of leeks. Incidentally I've got a pressure cooker, (remember them), minus the lid, boiling up some Leek and Potato/chicken soup at this very moment.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't grow vegetables but love reading what you get up to in your veggie garden Elaine. My son grows his own so your tips will be passed on. Funnily enough I've just bought some leeks to make a leek and potato soup tonight. It's that time of year when a steaming bowl of homemade soup is very welcome.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
I'd be happy to have some celery to cut - ours wasn't a success at all. The leek experiment was very interesting
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting about the leeks and celery. I've never heard anyone describe them as being suitable for cut and come again. You may be onto something really big. And... all those veg growing books will have to be updated!
ReplyDeleteReally like the idea of getting more than one crop from the leeks - pure genius! I've got some leeks doing OK at the moment (well OK compared to most of the veg I've grown this year anyway!), so I'll be trying out your idea.
ReplyDeleteInteresting reading Elaine. It's often said that a plant's natural instinct is to survive and your experiments seem to back this up. I'm getting more and more interested in the concept of perennial planting when it comes to veg :)
ReplyDeleteWe threw a few onion bulbs out back last spring and harvested about half of the this summer. We've left the rest in the ground and some have divided and shooted as well. I'm going to leave them there and see what happens. I'm glad your plan came together!
ReplyDeleteA great experiment with the leeks. I've just harvested a few of mine today and was just thinking that I need to grow more next year as they are one of my favourite veggies. So I might give this a try.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me...year before last, I bought a delicious, crispy green celery from the organic section of my local supermarket. It was so nice I wondered how I might grow some more. So I cut a thin sliver at the base leaving just enough for roots to sprout from it (if they wanted to!) and popped it in a pot - last year it grew and grew it was huge, crispy and green just like it was when I bought it only super-sized. All summer I picked and picked away at it and it kept growing. Recently I cut it right back down to its huge root-ball which looks a lot like a celeriac and then split it into another plant. It just seems it wants to go on and on...someone said all living things just want to live so who am I to argue?
ReplyDeleteI knew that for the celery but I didn't know it works with the leeks!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear this worked well for you Elaine. It's great to get more for less work! Very helpful for people who don't have a huge amount of time to go through the sowing, planting out process. Especially when even finding time for harvesting and cooking can be difficult with all the demands on folks these days.
ReplyDeleteWill definitely be trying this out. Only just started growing veg this year - enjoying eating my own produce but some of it has been hard work!! Any ideas to make it easier are most welcome.
ReplyDelete