Growing long white leeks is undoubtedly one of the greatest rewards a passionate gardener can experience, yet with so many different techniques required for successful leek cultivation, it may feel daunting at first. Here is our guide on how to grow leeks with long white stems successfully!
My first experience growing leeks was during university when I acquired an allotment plot for myself and began tending it carefully for seven months before harvesting one row of disappointingly tiny but delicious leeks. Ten years later, we’ve experimented with different sowing schedules, mulching methods, crop care strategies, and care protocols, and want to share as much of this process with you to help growers produce bigger and better leeks!
The Natural Growing Habits of Leeks
Leeks, as alliums, don’t form duplicating bulbs like onions and garlic instead they bolt naturally when exposed to hot dry temperatures, with attempts at setting seed occurring periodically throughout their growing cycles.
Seeds shed from leeks at their completion of flowering are spread around, much like walking onions. After falling to the earth, these seeds begin germinating within 14 days after hitting the soil; overwintering the young plants thrive before experiencing spurts in growth in spring. So, let’s talk about how to grow leeks with long white stems.
How and When to Sow Leeks for Larger Crops
Leeks can thrive over the winter as part of any allium garden and will begin rooting into their permanent spots come late autumn. Because leeks are one of the least frost-sensitive plants out there and less likely than many crops to damp off when young, there are no firm rules when or if to sow leeks for bigger harvests.
When to Sow Leeks For Bigger Crops
Leeks should be planted from seed in early fall for optimal harvest results, with two seeds to a plug or thinly in seed trays (since at this stage they don’t produce particularly deep roots). Germination usually happens within 14 days. For best results, it is wise to thin-sow your leek seedlings as soon as they emerge. It should happen quickly after sowing!
By sowing early, in September or October, your leeks can get an early headstart and develop an extensive root network before their growing season starts – taking full advantage of longer days!
Germinating leeks during December, January or February is unlikely to result in much success; therefore the September/October window provides the ideal opportunity to jump-start sowing for March/April sowing dates.
When to Plant Leeks Out
Instead of asking “When should leeks be planted out”, perhaps the correct question should be, “Are the leeks big enough to handle?” Leeks may be planted out as soon as they germinate but this might leave them susceptible to getting damaged by rough hands, trodden on by garden wildlife, or eaten up by slugs if left too soon.
Leeks should be planted out when their width measures roughly that of a pencil when their flavor has matured enough to deter slugs when their stems have enough strength to withstand an early frost.
As an experiment this year we tried planting our leeks directly onto our allotment in a holding bed. They seem to have quite strong roots by midwinter. These seeds were planted indoors late September and into an unfertilized bed around early December (usually it would have been November but there was an extreme cold spell stifling their growth).
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Tricks for Growing Bigger Leeks
Leeks consist of two parts; white stem and green leaves with edible but tougher leaf portions known as leek leaves that need longer cooking times, so when planting out leeks there are some basic strategies you can follow to increase their white stem content and therefore create bigger leeks.
Grow Leeks With Long White Stems
The important thing is how to grow leeks with long white stems. Leeks are easy to plant. Their white stem, before it opens out into leaves at the top, is perhaps their tastiest element and needs blanching for optimal results; we will cover this later; for now however the first and easiest step should be placing half in holes dug into soil, leaving half aboveground and half below.
Once your leek seedlings reach an approximate pencil width, they should reach five inches in height. At this stage, gently dib a hole using your finger in rich but loose soil; drop one into it before watering both it and surrounding soil around it without pressurizing either!
Water flows freely to fill these holes back with soil without compacting either your leeks or their roots, leaving an intact base which remains white while being securely anchored against winter winds.
Leeks are non-fruiting or flowering crops. While their flower buds can blossom naturally during periods of extreme drought, gardeners should try their hardest to prevent this as the flowering scapes contain watery matter that often has an overwhelming garlicky flavor when eaten raw.
The Best Fertilizer For Leeks
Although leeks don’t produce fruits or flowers directly themselves, gardeners still need to give the best fertilizers and conditions possible in order to produce an abundant crop of leeks that bloom naturally!
Leeks should be fertilized with an abundant dose of nitrogen; all leafy crops require additional nitrogen for optimal growth, making liquid seaweed fertilizer an ideal source.
As your plants begin to sprout more vigorously in springtime, sprinkle a light sprinkle of chicken manure pellets onto their soil for added nutrients and slow-release fertilizer that works great on larger leeks. However, do avoid doing this during the winter as too much fertilizer could potentially kill off young ones!
Should You Trim Leeks?
If your leeks are already flourishing well, trimming may not be necessary. Trimming should only be performed if their plants become too thin. Although thin leeks taste fine but might snap more readily during high winds if left alone to grow unchecked. Therefore if the growth rates of your plants concern you then trimming is worth exploring as another solution.
Thin leeks don’t store well either; they tend to dry out more easily than their larger counterparts, further emphasizing why growing larger leeks is best for long-term storage purposes.
Reducing young leeks too early may create the misconception that it will make them stronger over time; however, trimming may cause thicker leeks with more white to develop and be more likely to bolt and form scapes by late spring.
How to Grow Leeks with Long White Stems
Every part of a leek is edible, but the white stems contain a stronger flavor. By encouraging their development further, your efforts will produce leeks with longer white stems which produce higher quality yields both larger and improved taste!
As soon as you plant leeks in their proper places, dib them in and water them until their planting holes have filled with dirt. After their first few harvests have taken root there are various options to blanch their stems throughout their season of growth.
Hilling up leeks is one of the more traditional methods for blanching leeks, which involves planting them in a trench before pulling back soil around them to cover them. I do not enjoy hilling-up leeks due to how their leaves wrap around as they grow, trapping dirt and insects inside their stem.
Growing Leeks with Toilet Paper
My preferred means for blanching leek stems as they grow is either toilet roll or drain pipe – both will work just as efficiently! Toilet rolls can easily break down into compost at the end of a season while plastic pipe will last year after year.
No matter if you use toilet roll or plastic pipe to blanch leeks, their roots become confused that light is coming through their stems, thus convincing them that they’re underground. Furthermore, using a pipe to hill up leeks rather than soil helps minimize trapped soil when harvesting your crop.
Conclusion:
So, how to grow leeks with long white stems. Prosperous leek production requires multiple elements. Well-drained soil, organic fertilizers that balance well, and proper gardening techniques all come into play to make for successful leek crops every season. Once familiarized with leek growing practices you’re on your way to cultivating show-stopping crops!