Leeks are another cool season crop. Leeks are very sensitive to a sudden warming trend and will set seed very quickly after overwintering ... part of their northern heritage, perhaps? On the NW Coast we'll often get a very warm spell in February, and the leeks will go to seed easily ARGH! For your warmer climate, I'd advise to try a couple of strategies: Begin your seeds late summer/early autumn, in the coolest spot you can find, then plant them out AFTER the heat goes out of the autumn but before first frost. Let them overwinter. In early spring, as soon as you see some bud break in the garden, feed them LIGHTLY with a strong nitrogen fertilizer like a bit of blood meal. This gets them growing well & quickly. Within a couple of weeks, feed again but still before the weather warms up -- use another nitrogen fertilizer but one that its long lasting and less high in the N number: I used canola seed meal mixed with a little bit of chicken manure... where you live, cottonseed meal is a good substitute. The nitrogen brings them out of dormancy quickly and promotes green growth, enhancing the biennial's natural tendency to put on a good spurt of growth prior to seeding fruit. The 2nd dose of nitrogen promotes a slower growth, and does the rest of the Nitrogen's job: suppresses woody growth and (most important) blossoming/flower set. When it is an early warm spring I forego the first feeding, and just go to the second, longer-release nitrogen-based fertilizer. I've used it quite successfully over the years, but always watch that late-winter/early spring weather trend so I know when to feed or withhold the food for the leeks. As for your rhubarb, I've never tried to grow it in a warm climate. I did, however, find a good link that might be useful https://gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/… es.htm Cheers, Jo Canning Vancouver Island -----Original Message----- From: pbs <pbs-bounces@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> On Behalf Of D. K. Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2020 4:13 AM To: pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net Subject: Re: [pbs] Rhubarb All: I am new to the society, so excited about it all and so interested. I live in Arkansas, spent 12 years in the UK growing rhubarb, but can't get it to survive a summer here. If anyone has seeds for a 'warm weather' rhubarb, or offsets, please contact me. I can trade hippeastrum seeds/bulbs. (drkuonen@hotmail.com) Also trying to manage leeks here. Any advice from anyone? Don _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…