Leeks are vegetables that have white, small and tight bulb with green stalks. Their taste is often compared to an onion, and they’re mostly used as an ingredient to add flavor to stocks and broths. You can even try using leeks as a garnish in your favorite salad or soup. Growing leeks is not that complicated. You have two options to get started. The first option is to plant the seeds directly into the garden, and the second option is to use a growing tray and later transplant them into your garden.
If you decide to grow them from seed, the best thing to do is start them indoors. Although leeks are considered to be tolerant of cold weather, too much frost can be detrimental to the young plants. So consider the climate before you get started. About six to eight weeks before spring, you can sow the seeds in individual pots, and they will be easy to transplant when you are ready to move them.
Prepare your garden area prior to transplanting the seedlings. Try to dig a low trench of around 3 to 4 inches deep. Set the excavated soil aside – this can be of use later. Place the seedlings about 5 inches apart in the trench to give them room to grow. Leave an area of about 18 inches between rows. When transplanting them, just cover the stems with a small amount of soil. Take care not to bury them too deep. Enrich the soil using compost and organic fertilizer. The recommended amount is about to cup of fertilizer per furrow. Make sure to plant them where they can get full sun exposure and where the soil is well-drained. This ensures the optimal environment for your leeks to grow adequately. Mulching the plants thinly will also help the soil retain water. The soil needs to be adequately moist, especially during early development, so remember to water your leeks regularly too.
As soon as they start growing, you can optionally blanch the stems of your leeks to keep the light out and lighten the flavor. To do this, use a portion of the excavated soil from your trenching to build a tiny hill around the base of the stem. The soil will naturally collapse with frequent watering and will fill into the trenches formed earlier.
An alternative to the trench method is to use a dibber to make holes for your transplants. You can arrange and set your transplants at the base of the hole and cover it with soil, but only up to the first leaf bud. You can leave the remainder of the hole unfilled and the rain will fill it in as the leek continues to grow. If you decide to blanch it further, hill the soil up around the stem or mulch it with straw.
Leeks take about 170 days from sowing and 80 days from transplanting to reach their harvest. They will be ready to harvest when their stems are about 1-2 inches in diameter and the leaves are 6-8 inches tall. Carefully lift them out of the soil as you intend to use them, but try to complete the harvest before the first freeze arrives.
And if you’re interested in more in-depth vegetable gardening advice, be sure to read this great article on growing leeks in your own garden.
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