"Growing Leeks"

Leeks are part of the onion family but growing leeks in your veggie patch is a lot easier than growing onions, especially if you are starting the plants from seed. Onion seed is notoriously poor at germination, leeks on the other hand are usually fairly successful.

Because of this, seeds should be sown sparsely to avoid having to throw away lots of plants later, when they need thinning to allow space to grow.

Leeks are a cool climate crop and will stay in the ground through the winter months if the ground isn't too frozen. They are a welcome crop in the winter when there is little else still thriving in the garden.

Start seeds off in a seed bed. The soil should be well-drained and prepared well, digging over to a fairly good depth and any compost or well-rotted manure dug in during the season before. Don't put un-rotted fertiizers on the ground just before sowing. This will encourage too much leaf growth and can make the leeks taste bitter.

Seeds can also be sown in their permanent positions, but leeks are a long growing crop and can wait to be planted out until mid-summer, when other crops have been harvested. Traditionally, in crop rotated gardens, leeks will follow salads, brassicas and legumes. They like a fairly firm soil so it's not advisable to plant after early potatoes have been lifted as the soil is more crumbly after digging potatoes out of the ground.

Sow seed in drills, sparsely, and keep weed free and watered until the seedlings are growing well.

Before you start growing leeks, you need the seeds! Always buy from a reputable supplier, as cheap seeds tend to have a very poor germination rate.

Thompson and Morgan are award winning online suppliers of seeds and other products and they have some great pictures to drool over!

UK customers click on this link and type 'leeks' into the search box for their full range... Growing leeks at Thompson & Morgan UK

Or, if you're growing leeks in the US, Gurney's have this 'American Flag' variety!

US customers click on this link and type 'leeks' into the search box... Growing leeks with Gurney's

Growing Leeks - What happens next:

When the seedlings are growing well, thin to allow an inch or two (3-5cm) of space for each plant. Then a few weeks later do the same again, to about 4 inches (10cm) apart. Don't be tempted to thin to 4 inches (10cm) on the first lap, because some plants may not survive.

In mid-summer leeks should be about pencil sized and ready to be transplanted into their permanent position. The soil should be firm and holes made with a dibber to plant your individual plants into. Move the dibber around so that the hole is as big in circumference as you want your leeks to grow. Allow 4-6 inches of space between plants, but double check this on the seed packet as different varieties will have different spacing requirements. Before planting, trim the roots of each plant to about an inch (3cm) long, and trim off a couple of inches (5cm) of leaves.

Place in the holes and water. Allow the soil to naturally fall back into the hole. Water regularly and the soil will eventually fill the hole. The same method should be applied if you decide on growing leeks in trenches.

When the leeks are growing well, they should be earthed up to produce the white bulb. The soil should be dry when you do this or the stems may rot. Gently pull the earth up, by about 2 inches (3cm), on either side of the rows of leeks and repeat as they grow. If the leeks have been grown in trenches, simply fill in the trench with soil as the plants grow.

Trim off the top leaves once or twice, and gently tie the leaves together to avoid spilling over and shifting the soil away from the base of the plant. The white part is the edible part so watch out for this happening.

Many gardeners use a 'collar' to hold leaves together and upright. Anything that won't damage your plants could be used. A cardboard tube may work. Never put a collar on too tight though!

Harvest leeks as you want them. They will stay in the ground right through the winter, although if a very heavy freeze is expected, leeks can be dug up and then laid into a hole or the end of the trench. Cover roots with soil and heel in firmly. Allow the leaves to point upwards if you can. They will keep well for a month or so like this.

Never try and pull them directly out of the soil as they invariably break in half! Dig gently around the plant and lift with a spade or fork.

Winter vegetables straight from the garden are always welcome, and growing leeks gives you scope for all sorts of culinary delights all winter!

P.S. If you are too late to sow seeds this year, you may find plants ready to grow on at your local garden suppliers.

Happy Gardening!

Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months.

Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.

Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense

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