Heeling In Leeks And North Facing Cherries
Leeks
This week Dirty Nails has been heeling in leeks. Some of his fine crop of the Giant Winter variety are occupying ground that will soon be needed for other crops. With leeks, this is no problem. They are very hardy veg, easy to move and to store. He simply lifts the leeks that need shifting in the normal way and then transfers them to any handy area. Here he has already dug out a short trench 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) deep, and the leeks are placed into the trench close together. He packs soil all around the roots and shaft. Care is taken not to scatter crumbs down in between the leaf folds because this will make them gritty in the kitchen. Stored in this way, leeks will continue to stand in the ground happily for many weeks.
Cherries
Morello cherry thrives in the shade, and this tree is ideal for growing against a north-facing wall. It is a much sought after sour variety, ideal for culinary use. Dirty Nails prefers to leave his cherries unpicked for as long as he can get away with, and feast on the delicious fruits straight from the tree. He is training his morello cherry as a fan against the back of a shed. A two- or three-year old morello needs to be sourced from a reliable nursery, and planted during a mild spell any time between leaf-fall and bud-burst. This is roughly October until the end of February.
Planting is not complicated. Any fairly good soil is fine. A slot made with a spade, and levered open enough to receive the roots, is perfect. To get the correct planting depth, a piece of wood can be laid over the hole. By keeping the soil mark on the tree stem level with the wood, Dirty Nails ensures that he does not plant his tree either too deep or too shallow. The fibrous roots are pushed down into the crevice with his fingers, and soil is closed around them gently, but firmly, with the sole of his boot.