I just saw a great leek growing tip.

[Kimberlina]

I won't get a chance to try it this year as my leeks died (sad to admit, but they were a bit neglected in favor of the showier plants!) but I thought this was a great tip. I just saw it on Rebecca's Garden:

To keep your leeks clean and prevent dirt from getting inside them, after transplanting them into the ground, take an old toilet paper tube or paper towel tube (cut down) and slip it over the top of the plant. Push into the ground slightly, then mound dirt part way up it. Eventually, it will decompose, but it will keep most of the dirt out of the leek foliage.

[jlxian]

Sounds like a great idea -- I've never grown leeks, but this sounds like a crop for a future garden.