Building the leek trench

[Alan]

Needing to get my leek trench built and maturing quickly in readiness for this year's leeks, I simply knocked up 5 rectangular frames using 7 foot decking planks with corner braces to strengthen it. For the ends I cut 5 of the decking planks in half, giving me a trench measuring 7 foot by 3 foot 6 inches. I then connected them all to form one big "box" using more decking on the inside. Pretty small by leek trench standards, but enough (just) to plant 8 prize leeks in.

Once built, I filled the bottom 5 inches with brick hardcore followed by 2 inches of gravel. This should give me good drainage.

Next, I shovelled in a good 12 inches depth of farmyard manure. This is where the roots will mostly be sat in.

Lastly, I riddled a mixture of multi-compost, soil, and soil conditioner (composted garden rubbish courtesy of our local council) to a depth of about 7 inches, taking the soil to the top of the trench. This will sink an inch or two over the following weeks as the trench settles in.

Two weeks before planting the leeks in the trench, I'll give it a top dressing of bonemeal and fish, blood and bone and rake it in.

We've had unseasonably hot and dry weather recently, so I've given it a good spray with water now and then to keep it all moist. If the manure had been well-rotted, I'd have given the trench a sprinkling of lime, but apparently if manure isn't well-rotted, the lime reacts with it and negates it's beneficial qualities.

All things being well, next year I hope to have built a bigger trench using building blocks, possibly covered with a polytunnel.