Leeks are in the allium family, along with onions, garlic and chives. Besides being used as a side dish, they can thicken stews and can be added to curries, risottos, omelettes …. the list goes on. Leeks can be left in the ground right through winter until you need them. Find out how to grow leeks the easy way.
10 reasons to grow leeks
- You get large amounts of cheap seeds in the seed packets.
- Seeds are readily available in almost all seed-selling shops, and germinate quickly.
- You can fit approximately twenty leeks in a 1-metre square growing area.
- You get longer leeks simply by planting them deeper in the ground.
- They can be chopped up and frozen, if needed.
- Leave them in the ground until you are ready to harvest them through winter right up until spring.
- One of the few vegetables that can withstand cold temperatures.
- They don’t require much care and attention whilst growing.
- Leeks are high in vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, iron and manganese.
- They can be used to replace onions in many recipes.
Our leeks last year – what we did
We sowed the seeds in early April and left them in the greenhouse for a few weeks before lifting them outside, planted 225 seedlings in the ground in early June, and through late Autumn, winter and early spring we were harvesting them as we needed them.
By mid-March, the warmer temperatures were causing a few leeks to bolt (flower) so we dug up the remainder. We took them home to wash, chop and freeze so we could continue adding them to dishes.
Recommended varieties: Musselburgh
How you can grow leeks
What you’ll need:
- Leek seeds
- Large deep pots or large deep tub
- Bag of compost
- Watering can or jug
- Long rod to dig holes deeper to a depth of approximately 12 inches.
- A greenhouse if possible but it’s not essential
What you’ll do:
- In April or May, fill deep pots or tubs seed tray three-quarters full with compost. Water the compost lightly.
- Arrange the seeds evenly over the compost.
- Cover the seeds with compost.
- Water every week or so if the compost looks dry, but don’t overwater them.
- When the weather warms up, move the pots or tubs outside if you have stored them in a greenhouse. Keep watering them weekly if it hasn’t rained.
- Plant out once the leeks are about pencil thickness. Use a long rod to make deep holes in the ground about 15cm apart in both directions. Drop each seedling into the hole. Water well.
Caring for leeks
Just water them in dry periods. If you have planted them fairly deep then the roots will not dry out as quickly anyway. There is no need to feed leeks, but if you want to give them a boost mid-growth then add some homemade nitrogen nettle feed to the watering can. Nitrogen helps boost leaf growth.
In spring, you may notice that a few have started growing a hard central stem. If this happens then simply break off the stem low down to stop the leek from flowering (or bolting). Dig up the leek at that point, you can still eat the leaves surrounding the hard stem.
Harvesting leeks
Easy – just carefully dig deep with a long garden fork to prise up the leek from the ground. Be careful not to pierce any nearby leeks.
Cut off the long, darker leaves and base roots to leave the thick, whiter part of the leek.
Problems
There are usually no problems with leeks. Sometimes they can develop a rusty colour on their leaves. If this happens, just cut away the damaged areas before cooking.
In late October 2021, our leeks were attacked by allium leaf miners, which has never happened before. The leaves started to dull, wilt and curl so we dug them all up quickly. We salvaged most of the larger leeks by removing the outer damaged leaves.
We are having a break from growing leeks this year in the hope that the next generation of leaf miners will have flown away from our allotment. Don’t let this discourage you from growing them as most people never have any problems growing leeks.
Storing leeks
Until mid-spring, just leave them in the ground until you need them. Dig them all up before the weather starts to warm, otherwise they will bolt.
If necessary, you can trim, wash, slice and freeze the leeks. Remove as much excess water as you can before freezing.
