I'm not very proud of this photo but in many ways it appears unavoidable when growing exhibition blanch leeks. All of these flags had split right down the blanched barrel of the leek to the root plate, sometimes 4 or 5 layers deep. I think it might be due to intermittent watering which is something I'm often guilty of when it comes to my leeks. I resolved this season to try and keep the soil moist at all times but the path to Red Card City is littered with good intentions. As I hadn't uncollared my leeks for several weeks (again very naughty...try and do it every couple of weeks) I did so a few nights ago and it's a good job I did. As well as the splitting problem a few plants were infested with aphids that I hadn't noticed hiding away deep down in the DPC collars. As they were merely sucking sap from a loose skin attached to a base plate no virus appears to have been transferred and no permanent damage done it would seem. I also noticed a few barrels were not as straight as I would like and when they're a couple of inches diameter it's not as easy to straighten them as when they're an inch. Oh well.....should still be ok for local shows, but it just goes to show that even though everything appears to be ticking over there is often something hidden and it pays to be as vigilant as possible.
I left one split skin ( a guard flag) on each leek, replaced the collars (now 20") and squirted some Polysect down the inside of the collar. A couple of growers were saying to me at a show last weekend that they find it very difficult to get Pendle Improved to 'pull' upwards, but I've never found this a problem.
One surprise plant this season is this variety of pepper called Hungarian Hot Wax, which has been fruiting its socks off for weeks now. I even got a 2nd place with it in an any other veg class at a show in July which is by far the earliest I've ever had peppers ready. It's an attractive plant and like most hot peppers I find the foliage is often unpalateable to caterpillars, presumably because the heat of the fruit must somehow convey to the leaves. You tend to get the odd tiny hole that never develops, presumably because the caterpillar has f***ed off in search of a bucket of water.
5 comments:
I had to discard a couple of flags on quite a few of my Pendle leeks last week but they do seem to catch up quite quickly.
Is it possible at all to straighten bent barrels at this stage? My attempts caused many layers to split and I have given up on these ones, but I would be grateful for any ideas?
ive got some cracking leeks for Harrogate and Onions Potatoes carrots Caulis long beet should be a walk in the park
I am one who is strugling to pull up my Pendle Improved. They are all over 8.5" around and have a blanch of 18" but are only 14" to the button. They just about make the grade for the table at Llangollen next week. They have been in a 21" coler for the past month to try and pull them up but have gone back to an 18" coller now for the flags to turn green near the button.
I've not tried Hungarian Hot Wax, but used to regularly have a caterpillar problem on my chillies until a couple of years back. They were little green, fast moving buggers and insecticides barely touched them. They were selective as to the variety they attacked and to this day I've no idea what species they were, but since I started fumigating my greenhouse with a smoke candle each year in October, I've not had the problem. The same/similar caterpillar also appeared on Calmondin Orange plants in the same greenhouse and on an old grapefruit in a tub in the garden. Again, no problem for a couple of years on those in the greenhouse.
It is possible to straighten big leeks with steady gentle pressure in the right place, but not easy. As I say....best to do it when they're smaller.
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