I was checking the leeks the other day when I spotted one (and only one) which looked a bit different. I’m not sure but I presume that this is a very bad sign and the other plants may well go the same way eventually.
A little Googling soon turned up a blog entry titled Gone To Seed Part 2 from last year which seems to show very similar development so I guess it’s not uncommon.
This was a little surprising to me as the plants are not very well-developed yet so I wasn’t expecting it. However we have had some very unusual weather in recent weeks – sometimes sunny and hot whereas other times we’ve had flooding – so odd things are bound to happen.
Even the RHS website confirmed my suspicions on this page about bolting in vegetables:
Some biennial crops (which grow in the first year, flower in the second) such as onions, leeks, carrot and beetroot can initiate flowers in the first year. This is due to unsettled weather conditions early in the season and usually occurs after a prolonged cold spell, often during the propagation phase. Cold nights, hot days and late frosts may also contribute to premature initiation of flowering.
I suppose I’d better come up with some recipes for Scrawny Leek Soup
I’ve heard that planting out leeks after midsummer (Jun 21st) reduces the chance of them going to seed. We have our allotment open day tomorrow which raises money for St Christopher’s Hospice. We’ve never been to it before as usually on holiday. Been making a lot of jam lately so hope to shift some jars.