Are leeks hard to grow ? Tell me how.

How are they grown and when do you start them ? I have some seeds and thought they were started like onion sets. But then I got some confusing info. on how to put the plants out into the garden. Anyone here grow them ? How do you do it ? How does that work for you ?

Peggie, I had some leek seeds last year: American Flag and Giant Musselburgh. I direct sowed them after last frost about an inch apart, because no one told me "you're not supposed to direct seed leeks." Well, they came up beautifully (they're hard to see, so a layer of compost or fine soil on top is helpful) and I thinned them and forgot about them. Come summer's end, I harvested them and continued well into November. This year I plan to overwinter the G.M. ones.

So don't sweat it overmuch.

I love growing them! Can't get enuff leeks!

Although I once started them by seed I now prefer to order plants (Dixondale Farms).

Some varieties handle the heat better than others; some varieties handle the cold better than others. I really like to set some out in late summer (as seedlings) and in our zone they will grow/stay alive thru the Winter, giving us a Winter-long harvest. However, the past few years I've only been able to get seedlings/plants in late Winter so tend to grow them for a Summer harvest. (Perhaps I can baby some thru the heat and have some for Fall/Winter?)

Feed them as you would onions (at planting time and then side-dress). As they grow, pull soil up around them so they will blanch and create more white stem. You're gonna love 'em!
Shoe

Pic shows roughly 350 seedlings set out a few weeks ago:


This message was edited Mar 30, 2006 12:21 AM

Would you believe I've never even "tasted" a leek ? Everyone says they're so good, I just have to try them.

The confusing info I got was something about transplanting the sets. It said something about putting them in the hole and 'not' putting the soil back in around them ??????????? Do you all know what they're talking about ? I just thought you would put them in like onions and treat them the same way.

Shoe, thanks for the pic. Yours look great.

WHAT???? Peggie, when yours are ready, you dmail me and I'll give you five of my favorite leek recipes. Leek and potato soup is heaven.

If I plant a lot of them, can you freeze them if you have more than you can use ?

Yep. You can wash them, chop them up, blanch and drain 'em, and pop them in the freezer. They are pretty expensive at the store.

Even better, if you have some long-season ones like Giant Musselburgh, you can hill up around them a bit more and let them overwinter, taking them as you need them. I'm doing that with a patch of them this year, if all works out okay.

Good idea. Thanks for info. on freezing.
I have some of the Musselburgh seeds.

Yeah, I noticed the price at the store. Whew ! I can get a lot of seed for what one bunch costs.

"The confusing info I got was something about transplanting the sets. It said something about putting them in the hole and 'not' putting the soil back in around them ?"

Actually that is the easiest way to do it, PeggieK. Just make your holes and drop in the plants. Rain or irrigation will push the dirt back in the hole and fill it in. (After that and as they continue to grow, just pull more dirt up around them to blanch and elongate the right part.)

In my pic above I used a "lazy stick" to make the holes...much better than making one hole at a time with a hoe handle. (Course now, in the past I simply made a furrow and laid the plants in it and backfilled with a rake.)

Zeppy, that's good to know about the freezing. In our zone I've been able to grow them thru the Winter and pull as needed. Gotta have my leeks!

I start them by seed sown in flats outdoors typically in mid-late May. I grow them on in the flats and then when I pull the first of the spring/early summer crops from my garden, I "dibble" in the leeks into that available space and keep them well-mulched. Some might be harvestable in the fall and through the winter, but they'll definately be ready in the spring done this way. I also always let some go to flower and seed in the garden. The flower stems are beautiful and the pollinators just love them, so they're worth keeping around.

I guess leeks are a long season crop. No wonder they are so expensive at the supermarket.
Kinda like asparagus, takes a ..... l o n g ........ time to grow them. I suppose that once you get a crop started you can just continue on and it's not such a big deal. It's just that first crop that makes us wait what seems like so long. Thanks you guys, I better get busy...........it's going to a lot longer if I don't get it done now. LOL