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Plant Dimensions
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Height Up to 60cm/2ft - Spread up to 30cm/12"
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Yield
per plant
Yield per 1.5cm/5ft row |
1
Leek
2.2kg/5lb |
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Time between sowing and harvesting
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30-45 weeks depending on variety
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Where to Sow
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Outdoors in open ground in a prepared seedbed or 15cm/6"
deep pots
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Sowing time
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March to April - temperature +10C/50F
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How to Sow
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12mm/½" deep - very thinly - in rows 15cm/6"
apart or in groups/blocks.
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After Germination
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Thin seedlings to 5cm/2" apart Keep the soil moist but not
very wet and weed free.
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Growing on - in open ground
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Once the plants reach 20cm/8" high and the width of a pencil
they should be transplanted to their permanent positions.
This will be around Water the seed bed if dry well before
attempting to transplant.
Dig up the plants with the roots in tact, the leaves can be
trimmed enough to prevent them flopping into the soil.
Make a hole with a dibber or stick about 15cm/6" deep and
wide enough to drop a leek plant in without touching the
sides. Fill the hole with water but do not fill with soil.
repeat with all the leek plants spacing a good 15cm/6" apart
either in rows or in blocks.
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Growing on - in pots
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As above. Choose containers at least 30cm/12" deep but only
fill to within 10cm/4" of the top. This will enable you to
blanch the stems by just adding layers of compost or soil as
described below.
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Aftercare
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Water in dry weather and keep weed free.
Once the leeks have grown thicker and have completely filled
the holes, start earthing up to blanch the stems. This is
done by gradually pulling the surrounding soil up against
the plants and is best done in stages over a number of
weeks, earthing up a maximum of 5cm/2" at a
time. This is done to produce more white stem.
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Harvesting
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Harvest as and when needed by gently lifting with a fork. Harvesting can start once the
stems 12mm/½" in thickness for very tender baby
specimens although the optimum size would be between
2.5-5cm/1-2" thick. Harvesting can continue through the
winter to early spring.
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