How to Grow Leeks – from Garden to Table

If you are planning to grow leeks in your garden, there are 2 ways you can approach how to get them started. Leeks can be sowed directly outdoors from seeds, or you can give them a jump-start in a germinating container indoors and transplant them.

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.

When preparing your garden bed area make a low trench of about 3 to 4 inches deep and gently space the plants about 5 inches apart, with about a foot and a half between rows. Do not bury them too deeply; just cover them with a shallow amount of soil. Use plenty of compost to fertilize the soil and work to cup of complete organic fertilizer into each furrow. In terms of location, remember leeks like to grow in full sun and prefer fertile well-drained soil. Last, but not least, add a thin coat of organic mulch and water your plants thoroughly. Keep the soil moist during early development.

As you monitor the growth of your leeks, use some of the soil in the furrow to build a little hill on the base of the stem. This will help in blocking out the light, thus blanching the shaft. Blanching is the process of lightening the color of the plant to remove some of the bitter taste in the stem. Then, let the soil naturally collapse and fill the trenches with the help of watering.

One alternative to the trench method is to use a device called a dibber. This is used to make holes in the soil where the transplants will be placed. Cover the stem partially – only up to the first leaf bud. You can then just leave the plant there and allow the rain-washed soil to fill in the hole naturally. Like in the trench method, blanching may be done by covering up the stem partially with soil. You could also mulch the stem using straw to achieve the same affect.

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.

Susan writes on edible gardening. Click over to one of her colleague’s articles on growing leeks for more information.

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