Spuds Out, Leeks In

As seems to have become an annual tradition, I’ve finally dibbed in the leeks that have been growing as best they can in deep trays in our too-warm-for-leeks greenhouse, ever since they were sown back in February. Honestly, I don’t know what it is about leeks, but I seem to have a mental blank when it comes to remembering to get them in the ground in good time.

Anyway, here they are, dibbed and watered in, looking a bit bedraggled and pathetic, but hopefully only a few days away from making a decent recovery and starting to grow on:

To make room for the leeks, I lifted another six plants’ worth of potatoes. We’ve already had a pretty decent haul from three or four plants, which we’re steadily eating our way through. This batch will need to be sorted and either set aside for eating if damaged / a bit green, or hessian-bagged and stored for winter if not:

Two varieties there, ‘Violetta’ at the top (purple skin, marbled purple flesh, holds its colour when cooked but not the best for flavour) and ‘Belle de Fontenay’ (good flavour, waxy when steamed, gets a bit floury round the edges if boiled instead).

How about you? Are your leeks in yet? Have you had a good year for spuds? let me know, via the comments.