We transferred some more leeks tonight and got into a tussle over whether it was necessary to do the same for the scallions. There seems to be a real dearth of information on intermediate transplanting. For instance, what should be done with leeks and other alliums when they outgrow their starting trays? Many books recommend transferring to a more nutrient-rich growing medium, but nothing is said about when to do this or what new pot to use.
Our personal experience with peat pots has been less than stellar, since the peat sucked up the moisture like a sponge and demanded constant watering. Also, the pots took too long to break down in the soil and inhibited plant growth. Aside from this, leeks and scallions in particular don't seem to use a lot of lateral room to grow.
We decided to make some tall, narrow newspaper pots, then placed them inside some round-cell seed trays for support. Is this the best solution? Probably not, since it's time consuming and can't possibly be employed by commercial gardeners. If anyone from our massive, adoring fanbase has any suggestions, we're all ears.
After inadvertently breaking a few scallion stems, Kate also suggested that they were too delicate for transplanting, so we're leaving them alone for now.
We need a gardening mentor and are accepting applications for the volunteer position, which does include a generous stipend of oatmeal cookies.
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