Saturday, 26 October 2024

Allium Porrums Growing In A Repurposed Oil Tank.


 My Leeks are growing in my plastic raised beds that I repurposed from old central heating tanks.

We cut each one in half to make two raised beds and I drilled drainage holes for them.

Then I half filled them with branches, weeds, fairly fresh fym, well rotted compost and fym and old cardboard.  My own version of Hugelkultur gardening and all for free.

I mulched the leeks with the leaves from the Hydrangeas cuttings I made on my last post.

Leeks originate from Central  Asia and they are members of the Allium family.  They are said to be great for reducing our blood pressure and they have anti cancer properties.

You can see the Leeks are loving it and have no problems about growing in an old plastic heating oil tank full of organic materials.

Like I often write on here you do not need to have a garden or allotment to grow your ow organic vegetables.  All you need is something to grow them in.  I have 24 raised beds full of fym and leeks and winter onions, lettuces, carrots, swedes and kale.  

Friday was a wash out and I think the seasons around now are getting historically wetter and raised beds are the way to go.  It's preferable to be gardening at waist height rather down at your toes.



12 comments:

  1. I am hoping that next year will not be so cold and wet here so that maybe our veg plot will be more successful.

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    1. Totally agree JayCee. There is definitely climate change happening and our Autumn, Winter and Spring Seasons are getting wetter. I read somewhere that in the 13th century it rained for twenty years. I bet your missing Tenerife? I am.

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  2. Raised beds make a huge difference in gardening enjoyment. Your leeks are wonderful!!

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  3. Thanks Linda. The raised beds are great for drainage and easier on our backs and knees. To blow my own trumpet. I have never had a problem growing Alliums. Lots of weeding, fym and wood ash for potash.

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  4. Good looking leeks. We'll be calling you Mr Leeks from now on.

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  5. I've never grown leeks before. Something else I might try next year.

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  6. They are definitely worth growing Jules. I grew mine from seed and when they grew. I planted them in the raised bed with my dibber and dropped them in the holes to create a space for their white sock and watered them in. Potato and leek soup is a favourite of ours. Thanks.

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  7. I've not harvested my leeks yet, they don't look as big as yours, raised beds help with our heavy clay soil.

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  8. Hi Marlene. I think raised beds are the way to go with our ever increasing very wet end of the year seasons. Also you are growing at waist height. After harvesting I top up the raised beds with well rotted fym and plant something else.

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    Replies
    1. I'm the same, with only 2 small beds, I try to keep them full, remembering to rotate crops.

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  9. Rotation is difficult with small beds. I am waiting the delivery of more second hand tanks to make more raised beds. Topping some of them up with fym is my task today.

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