It"s Time to Start Some Hardy Leeks
Many of our savory and warming winter soups contain leeks that we can pick from the garden from late summer and throughout fall and winter.
These hardy mild alliums are slower growing than onions, but make up for their late maturity by surviving in the garden in winter.
Super-hardy leeks are really quite easy to grow.
Plan to plant leek seeds in flats indoors in mid to late winter.
Not only are you giving them a head start, it is good therapy for us gardeners to see new green shoots even in the dead of winter! Leeks have a long 120 to 140 day growing season, and if you start them in January or February, fast growing cultivars will mature in late summer while the hardier more traditional leeks will be ready for fall and winter harvesting.
You can also plant leek seeds directly in the garden up to four weeks before the last frost.
As they grow, thin the seedlings to about one inch apart in the flat.
When they are about six inches tall, harden them off by moving the whole flat outdoors to a sheltered location for a few days.
Plant the leeks in rich and deeply dug slightly acid soil that has a quantity of humus and compost.
Prepare the planting area by digging a trench that is about 6 inches deep and just as wide.
Plant the seedlings in the bottom of the trench, spacing them about 6 inches apart.
The idea of a trench is to leave space to cover the bulb and lower stalk gradually as the plants grow.
If you plant them on the surface, the tough green leaves will start much lower to the bulb stem, and you will not have much edible stalk.
When the leaves are about 8 inches tall, rake in some fine soil, about an inch deep around the leek plants.
Do this every three weeks or so, keeping the soil level just below where the green leaves emerge from the base stem.
This will help the plant grow a longer blanched bulb stem, which, of course, is what you want.
Remember also to keep your leeks well watered.
Fertilizing every month or so with well rotted and sterilized manure, compost tea or fish emulsion will help supply the plants' heavy nitrogen demands.
By late summer or early fall the trench should be filled in completely around the leek plants, and the leeks will have thick strong leaves and a long tender blanched stem.
Before winter sets in, pile ten or twelve inches of mulch around the leeks to keep the soil warmer and to protect the leeks from extreme cold.
Straw, dry leaves or old sawdust make good mulches.
As winter arrives, your leeks will continue growing, and will weather snow and cold quite well.
Dig just as many as you need at one time.
If you have managed to get the mulch in place early enough to stop freezing of the soil, you will be able to harvest leeks and enjoy them fresh from your garden throughout the winter months.
These hardy mild alliums are slower growing than onions, but make up for their late maturity by surviving in the garden in winter.
Super-hardy leeks are really quite easy to grow.
Plan to plant leek seeds in flats indoors in mid to late winter.
Not only are you giving them a head start, it is good therapy for us gardeners to see new green shoots even in the dead of winter! Leeks have a long 120 to 140 day growing season, and if you start them in January or February, fast growing cultivars will mature in late summer while the hardier more traditional leeks will be ready for fall and winter harvesting.
You can also plant leek seeds directly in the garden up to four weeks before the last frost.
As they grow, thin the seedlings to about one inch apart in the flat.
When they are about six inches tall, harden them off by moving the whole flat outdoors to a sheltered location for a few days.
Plant the leeks in rich and deeply dug slightly acid soil that has a quantity of humus and compost.
Prepare the planting area by digging a trench that is about 6 inches deep and just as wide.
Plant the seedlings in the bottom of the trench, spacing them about 6 inches apart.
The idea of a trench is to leave space to cover the bulb and lower stalk gradually as the plants grow.
If you plant them on the surface, the tough green leaves will start much lower to the bulb stem, and you will not have much edible stalk.
When the leaves are about 8 inches tall, rake in some fine soil, about an inch deep around the leek plants.
Do this every three weeks or so, keeping the soil level just below where the green leaves emerge from the base stem.
This will help the plant grow a longer blanched bulb stem, which, of course, is what you want.
Remember also to keep your leeks well watered.
Fertilizing every month or so with well rotted and sterilized manure, compost tea or fish emulsion will help supply the plants' heavy nitrogen demands.
By late summer or early fall the trench should be filled in completely around the leek plants, and the leeks will have thick strong leaves and a long tender blanched stem.
Before winter sets in, pile ten or twelve inches of mulch around the leeks to keep the soil warmer and to protect the leeks from extreme cold.
Straw, dry leaves or old sawdust make good mulches.
As winter arrives, your leeks will continue growing, and will weather snow and cold quite well.
Dig just as many as you need at one time.
If you have managed to get the mulch in place early enough to stop freezing of the soil, you will be able to harvest leeks and enjoy them fresh from your garden throughout the winter months.
