Growing Leeks
All about Growing Leeks
If you are one of those people who is a little bit afraid of gardening for fear nothing will grow, you should try growing leeks. Leeks are very easy to grow and they do well in just about every climate. Leeks are in the same family as onions and garlic. They actually grow best in cool weather, so don’t be afraid of getting them in the ground in the spring before the last frost.
It is possible but very difficult to grow leeks from seeds. Most gardeners buy seedlings which are about three inches high at the time of transplant. In warm climates such as California, leeks can be grown at any time of the year. In places where there is winter snow, you can put leeks into the ground approximately a month before the last spring frost.
When growing leeks, it is best to get them in the ground early because it takes them between three and four months to reach harvest time. As with onions, the edible part of leeks is underground and it has green leaves above ground. When growing leeks, you should try to place them in a spot where they will receive full sunlight for most of the day. If you test your soil, leeks like a pH in the range of 6.0 to 6.8.
Most gardeners plant leeks in trenches. If possible, you should get the soil ready a few weeks beforehand. They like lots of dried manure and compost. Made your trenches approximately five to six inches deep and place the leeks around two to four inches apart at the bottom of the trench. Then fill the trench with just enough soil that only the very top of the leek is above ground. This will help your plant to have a strong root system. As the leeks grow, you can fill in any dirt needed to make sure they stay underground throughout the growing period.
Leeks are bought in sets, just the same as onions. They need to have plenty of water because they grow best where they get a lot of sunlight. They have almost no pests or diseases to worry you. You can harvest leeks when they have reached maturity and are at least one-inch across. You can even leave them in the ground through the winter and pick them whenever you need them for a meal.
There is really no way to go wrong when growing leeks. Plus, they are delicious in all kinds of recipes, and can be steamed, boiled, sautéed, and even cooked in the microwave. Leek and potato soup is everyone’s favorite recipe, but you can find hundreds more ways to prepare leeks on the internet or in just about any vegetable cookbook.