Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener
Plant Search
Jessie Keith
Liliaceae
Allium porrum
Garden Leek
Leeks have a delicate, sweet oniony flavor that cannot be matched, and though they take a bit more work to cultivate, they are well worth growing. Unlike onions, their leaf bases are eaten as well as the bulbs. They are technically short-lived perennials but are grown as annuals. The species of wild leek from which they are derived, Allium ampeloprasum, originates from southern Europe, North Africa and regions in the Middle East where they grow in sandy coastal spots as well as open pine forests. Contemporary leeks are most commonly grown and eaten in the western world and are essential to many European cuisines.
Leeks are upright and have broad, flattened blue-green to gray-green leaves that arch and are pointed at the tips. The leaves overlap to create the long stem base that’s eaten. The base of the leek is white and slightly bulbous—kind of like an elongated onion. Leeks produce surprisingly pretty flowers in the spring of their second year. The perfectly round flower clusters rise from tall, leafless stems. A single plant will typically produce one flower head comprised of lots of white, starry flowers. Occasionally the heads will have small bulbs (bulbils) instead of flowers. These can be planted in the ground to produce leeks the following year.
If grown in full sun and organic-rich, well-drained soil, leeks will thrive. Sandy loam is ideal. They perform best if given light supplemental nitrogen and grown in areas with cool, pleasant summers. Regular water is needed if conditions become too dry. There are several problematic pests and pathogens that damage leeks. Onion flies and leek moths can infest the bulbs and stems and white rot can be a problem—especially in poorly drained soils.
Leeks are planted in spring as either bulbils or seedlings and are typically grown in mounds. Seedlings should be planted at a depth that’s two or three times their width. As the plants grow, keep the soil mounded around their stems up to the lowest leaf joint. This process is called blanching and will produce a longer, more tender white stem for cooking and eating. Leeks can be harvested when they are a half an inch to two inches thick (one to six centimeters) or after 120 to 210 days of growth. It is preferable to harvest them before the soil freezes. Any small, uprooted leeks that are not ready can be replanted.
7 - 1
6 - 9
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
1'-3' / 0.3m - 0.9m
1'-2' / 0.3m - 0.6m
Spring, Late Spring
Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Fast
Average Water
Clump-Forming
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Showy
White
Tan
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Yes
No
Single
Coarse
Matte
Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Butterflies
© 2006-2012 Preferred Commerce. All Rights Reserved.
