Turnips & Leeks ?

[diamond lil]

I want to grow turnip and leek for my winter soup pot. Can you buy actual baby plants instead of seed ? I give up with seeds - have planted several whole pkts and nothing has come up that isn't a weed. Got the OH to dig over a wee bed this morning (used to be a rockery that was my pride & joy but prepping is more important!) and it would be so much easier just to plonk in some young plants instead of faffing about with seeds...

[preppingsu]

I have bought leeks this way before and they did quite well. Growing from seed last year wasn't so good.
Not sure about turnips.

I would guess that your soil is not quite warm enough so your seeds aren't germinating. May I suggest that next year, try covering the soil with black plastic, old carpet or horticultural fleece to warm the soil before planting any seeds.

quick google search came up with this
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/leek-p ... 4QodtDBjqQ

its not who I bought from before but I can't remember who it was!

[diamond lil]

Oh that's great ta Sue. I have two garden centres within reach, one is really dear and the other one is further away but cheaper. Will talk nice to the ratty grumpy old s - erm OH - and see if he will take me

[jansman]

Lil leeks you will grow well from purchased plants. Turnips you will have to grow from seed, and you can sow turnips up to the end of June- probably the start of June where you are.

[diamond lil]

TY I am watching the garden centres for baby leeks, and I have started off turnip seeds in milk cartons with compost. Will plant out when they get to a couple of inches. Also put in some swede seeds (be hard to say that when ye've had a few eh!) and wil see how they do. Whining at the husband to dig a decent sized bed for them but he prefers his bloody grass.

[hazmat]

Ever tried Kohl-rabi?
Mainly European veg, you find it popping up in all sorts of food.



Tastes great in stews, sliced paper thin adds a nice taste to salads.
Dead easy to grow.

[diamond lil]

Thanks for this, I did read about it and forgot. It seems easy to grow in bad condtions. What does it taste like ? Can you eat the leaves as well, or feed to livestock?

[hazmat]

leaves no, chickens seem fond of the shredded leaves though but there again they'll attack just about anything. Nice a sort of mixture of cabbage(y) tang and loads of sweetness.
Lovely when used to make a 'slaw'.
Example recipe http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blo ... reamy.html

Works well in stews and goulashes. Natural 'sweetener' type veg.

[diamond lil]

Brilliant, ty. I am running out of food to feed to the bloody chickens. I think they're piranhas with feathers.

[hazmat]

Brilliant, ty. I am running out of food to feed to the bloody chickens. I think they're piranhas with feathers.

We were the same until we gave them access to our compost heap.
It took them (5 chicks) just three days to level a 4 foot pile but the eggs were lovely cause of all the bugs they found.
Never seen anything like it. We'd cut the grass or do weeding and they were sitting on the heap just waiting.
VERY intimidating.