Leeks from seed
Growing Leeks From Sowing to Harvest
, written by Benedict Vanheems
You’ve got to admire leeks. They’re exceptionally hardy, generally trouble-free, and best of all they will provide beautiful long stems from autumn right the way through to spring at a time when other harvests are thin on the ground. Now’s the time to start thinking about sowing them…so let’s get started!
Luscious Leeks
Leeks are very hardy vegetables, which in most regions will safely sit through frost and snow to be lifted as needed. You can prolong the harvest period by selecting a mix of varieties. Early season leeks are less hardy but will be ready for autumn, while mid and late season leeks will give you smooth stems for winter and spring.
Grow leeks in a sunny, open position in well-dug soil that’s had plenty of organic matter added to it. The fungal disease rust can be a minor problem from summer onwards, so look out for varieties described as ‘rust resistant’ and make sure you leave enough space between plants for good air movement.
Sowing Leeks
The earliest varieties can be sown under cover from late winter, with others following on from mid spring. Leeks are usually sown in pots or trays of potting soil and then transplanted into their final position when they’re big enough.
For guidance on when to start sowing why not try our Garden Planner, which uses data from your nearest weather station to recommend the best times to sow, plant and harvest your crops.
Sowing is very easy. Start by sieving potting soil into pots or trays. Gently tamp the potting soil down then sow the seeds very thinly so they fall about an inch (2-3cm) apart. You can also sow two seeds per cell in a plug tray. Now cover them over with a thin layer of more potting soil, and water them. Keep the potting soil moist as the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow on.
Early sowings should be placed on a sunny indoor windowsill or into a greenhouse where the warmth will encourage quicker growth. As the seedlings grow you can if you wish separate them out and pot them on into individual pots.
Transplanting Leeks
Before transplanting your young leeks make sure you’ve acclimatized them to outdoor conditions by leaving them outside for increasingly longer periods over the course of one to two weeks. They’re ready to transplant when they are six to eight inches (15-20cm) tall.
Begin by ‘dibbing’ (poking) holes that are about the same height as the leek seedlings' stems into well-dug soil. You can use a purpose-made dibber for this, or improvise with a cut-down handle from an old broken spade or fork, or even use the handle-end of a hand tool such as a trowel. Make one hole for each plant. The holes should be about six inches (15cm) apart, with a foot (30cm) left between rows, or if you’re planting in blocks space then seven inches (20cm) apart each way.
Now carefully remove the leeks from their pots and, if they haven’t already been potted on, tease the roots apart. Place the seedlings into the holes. It’s important that the roots reach right down to the bottom of the hole, so if necessary, help them along – you may need to trim them to get them in if they’re very long.
With your leeks in position, fill the holes to the brim with water and leave to drain. Do not fill in the holes. The soil will naturally fall back in with time, allowing the shanks (stems) to swell easily.
Caring for Leeks
If you want to maximize space you can grow fast-growing salad leaves in between your newly planted leeks while you wait for them to establish. Salad crops are shallow-rooted so they won't compete with the deeply-planted leeks. By midsummer the leeks will need all available space to encourage high light levels and good air circulation.
Easy-care leeks need very little attention. Water the plants in very dry weather and keep the ground between the leeks weed-free by hand weeding or hoeing weekly.
If you want really long, white stems, you can ‘blanch’ your leeks two to three weeks before you want to harvest them. Simply draw the soil up around the shanks to exclude light, or tie cardboard tubes around the stems.
Harvesting Leeks
Leeks can be harvested as soon as they’ve reached the desired size.
Slip a fork underneath the plant to lever it out, while pulling up on the leaves. Trim the roots and any damaged leaves onto the compost heap then wash away the soil ready for the kitchen. Hardy varieties may be dug up as needed over the winter, though in very cold areas you may want to dig them up before the ground freezes solid.
Leeks are very versatile vegetables, and can be added to all manner of recipes, including stir-fries, quiches, soups, pies and tarts. For a luxury side dish try adding cream and grated cheese to sautéed leeks before serving piping hot with a grind of the pepper and salt mills. Mmm!
Look after your leeks and they’ll love you back! If you’re already in the know about leeks and fancy sharing some cultivation or culinary tips, do drop us a comment below. Happy sowing!
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How to grow leeks: from seed or existing plants
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Once you have learnt how to grow leeks, you will do it year after year. They are so delicious and versatile, and add interest to the veg patch in the coldest months of the year.
Choose a selection of early and late varieties and you can keep harvesting from late summer right through to early spring. If you leave a few plants to go to seed, they will even produce beautiful allium flowers into the summer. This makes leeks a truly year-round crop, and an essential addition to your kitchen garden ideas.
The good news is that leeks are not difficult to grow.
‘Leeks are pretty straightforward; just don’t get soil down between the leaves as it’s the devil to get out,’ says gardening expert Matt James, who recommends varieties Musselburgh and Torledo.
Other leeks worth your time include Lancelot, Dawn Giant, Pandora, and King Richard, but there are plenty of tempting varieties to try.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How to grow leeks from seed
‘March is the main month for sowing many crops, including leeks,’ says Period Living’s gardens expert Leigh Clapp. However, you can sow earlier or later depending on the variety and your local climate. ‘You can plant them out from May, and harvest through fall and winter.’
While you can sow direct, it’s best to start leeks off under cover in the greenhouse or a windowsill. Otherwise they will dominate the veg patch when you could be growing other, quicker crops such as lettuce.
If you sow seeds successionally every few weeks, you will have a continual supply rather than one glut.
Early and late varieties will need sowing at different times, so check the seed packet.
- To grow leeks from seed, fill small pots or seed modules with potting mix that has a fine tilth – seed compost would work well.
- Sow one seed per pot or module and cover with a fine layer of potting mix.
- Keep the soil moist, but not overwet.
- The seeds should germinate within two weeks.
- Once the seedlings have grown to 6-8 inches tall, you can plant them outside in early summer.
- To plant out your seedlings, make holes around 6 inches deep with a dibber or pencil, spaced around 6 inches apart in rows around 12 inches apart. ‘You can get more crops in a plot by growing them closer together than usual. That way you’ll get baby leeks that you can pick earlier,’ says James.
- Tease out the leeks from their pots, trim the roots to about 2 inches long, and gently insert one per hole.
- Covering the stems in this way will blanch them so they will be white, and taste sweeter.
- Fill the holes with water, but don’t fill with soil. As the leeks grow, you can gently pull the soil around the base, but do not let it fall between the leaves as it will get trapped between the layers.
- Feed leeks every 3-4 weeks with liquid fertilizer.
- You can harvest your leeks in late summer when they are small and tender, or in the fall or winter.
- If you leave some of your leeks to flower, you can save the seed for the next year, although they will not grow true to type.
If you would prefer to start your seeds off direct, then plant each seed about 8 inches deep using a dibber. ‘For successful direct outdoor sowings of leeks, warm soil is essential. This is particularly important with thick clay soils that warm up slowly,’ says James. ‘Cover your plot with black or clear plastic sheeting two weeks before you plan to sow to help get early crops off to a flying start.’ Aim for a soil temperature of at least 45°F (7°C).
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How to grow leeks from leeks
As well as growing leeks from seed, you can buy seedlings from the garden center to plant in position, or even grow them from the offcuts of leeks you have eaten.
Leeks are surprisingly easy to regrow in water, and it cuts down on food waste.
‘To regrow leeks simply put the root end in a jar of water for a few days, replacing with fresh water as needed,’ says Clapp.
When the leek has sprouted lots of new growth, plant it in potting mix and it will grow to full size once again.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How to grow leeks in pots
Leeks are a great option for a container vegetable garden. Grow them in pots on the patio or balcony, and they will be close to hand when you need to harvest them for cooking.
‘They will need a good size pot, about 12 inches in diameter, with plenty of depth. You can always thin them later if they need more space; the thinnings are absolutely delicious,’ says Aaron Bertelsen in Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots .
‘Plant the seedlings good and deep, and fill the hole with water rather than soil to help the roots settle in. Add some grit to the compost (potting soil) too – drainage is particularly important for winter crops.
’
Bear in mind that when growing leeks in pots, you will get a bigger harvest it you space them closer together – say, 2 inches between each plant, and begin to harvest them when they are young.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How to harvest leeks
Harvest leeks as and when you need them, to retain their freshness. If the soil is fairly light, you might be able to pull the leek out with your hands. Otherwise, insert a fork down into the roots and gently lever the leek up.
The great thing about leeks is that you can start harvesting them when young and tender, and the plants in the ground can keep growing right through winter, staying in place until you need them.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Problems and pests
Leek rust – which appears as orange or brown blotches on the leaves – is a common issue, but won’t harm the plant unless the infection is severe. Avoid overcrowding and dispose of infected plant matter. You should also practice good crop rotation, as planting them in the same spot the following year will increase the likelihood of problems.
Allium leaf miner and leek moth can also be an issue in some areas, and where present can weaken the plants. If you are affected, then the following year cover the crops with mesh to prevent them from accessing the plants.
Companion planting is a good way to ward off pests and improve planting success. ‘Leeks are good companion planted with carrots, onions, garlic, beets, celery, tomatoes, fruit trees, parsley,’ says Clapp.
Are leeks easy to grow?
Leeks are easy to grow as long as you sow them at the right time, and follow the correct procedure in planting out. You should then suffer few problems.
How long does it take leeks to grow?
Leeks take between 6-10 months to grow, but this wil depend on the variety, sowing time and whether you choose to harvest the plants when young or mature.
When should you plant out leeks?
Plant out leeks in late spring to early summer, when the seedlings have reached around 6-8 inches in height.
How to grow big leeks
To grow big leeks, select a large variety, such as Dawn Giant or Giant Winter.
Start them off indoors as early as possible, plant in soil enriched with organic matter, giving plenty of space between plants, as this will affect size. Feed regularly with liquid fertilizer.
You should also leave it as late as possible to harvest the leeks, to allow them to grow to bumper proportions.
Do leeks come back every year?
It is possible to grow perennial leeks that come back every year. However, for the best crops you should treat the plants as annuals, sowing new seeds every year.
As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc.
She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.
planting and care in the open field, sowing for seedlings, photo
Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/ru/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: garden plants reprinted: Last amendments:
Content
- Planting and care for Luko-Luka
- onions-Description
- Growing onions of seeds from seeds
- sowing sowing leek seeds for seedlings
- Caring for leek seedlings
- Planting leeks outdoors
- When to plant leeks outdoors
- Soil for leeks
- After which you can plant leeks leek outdoors
- Planting leeks for winter
- How to grow leeks
- Watering leeks
- Feeding leeks
- Processing of leeks
Leek (lat.
Allium porrum), or pearl onion - a herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Onion. The leek comes from Western Asia, but later it ended up in the Mediterranean, where you can still find its original wild form in nature - grape onion. Leek was well known in the countries of the ancient world - Egypt, Rome and Greece, and since the Middle Ages it has already been grown throughout Europe, it is especially popular in France - Anatole France called the leek asparagus for the poor.
Today this type of onion is ubiquitous.
Planting and caring for leeks
- Planting: sowing seeds in open ground - before winter, in November. Sowing seeds for seedlings - in late February or early March. Sowing seeds in the greenhouse - in mid-April. Sowing seeds under the film - at the end of April. Planting seedlings in open ground - in early or mid-May.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- Soil: fertile, breathable, neutral.
- Watering: regular. The first days after planting the seedlings, the bed is not watered, and then the soil is moistened on average once every five days, spending 10 to 15 liters of water per m².
- Top dressing: 3-4 times per season with organic and mineral fertilizers. The first time - three weeks after landing.
- Hilling the main procedure for the culture, which is carried out 3-4 times per season from mid-summer.
- Propagation: seeds.
- Pests: onion flies.
- Diseases: downy mildew, rust, viral mosaic.
- Properties: medicinal and dietary plant.
Read more about the cultivation of leeks below.
Leek - Description
Leek is a herbaceous biennial growing from forty centimeters to one meter in height. In the first year of life, the leek forms a powerful root system, a false white bulb with a diameter of 2 to 8 cm and a length of 10-12 cm, turning into a false stem, and a large number of linear-lanceolate, fan-shaped green or bluish-green leaves.
In the second year, in June-July, the plant develops a peduncle up to 2 m high with pink or white flowers forming an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, and in August or September, seeds similar to onion seeds ripen and remain viable for two years.
Leek is a cold-resistant culture demanding moisture. In the central and northern regions, it is grown in seedlings, and in the south it is sown directly into the ground.
Growing leeks from seeds
Sowing leek seeds for seedlings
The vegetation period of the crop is from 150 to 200 days, and to speed up the ripening process, leeks are grown in seedlings. If you decide to sow onions for seedlings at home, you need to do this in late February or early March. Sowing in the greenhouse is done in mid-April, and if you are going to grow on a bed under a film, then you need to sow leek seeds at the end of April.
For sowing, you will need containers at least 10-12 cm deep, as leeks have long roots. The dishes must be disinfected by washing in a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and the seeds should be kept in a thermos with warm water (40-45 ºC) for several hours, and then immediately lowered into cold water, and then dried to flowability.
Fill the containers (it is better that they are separate pots or cups) with light sod-humus soil. Lightly tamp it and water well, then sow the leek seeds, cover them with a layer of sand 5 mm thick, cover with a film and keep at a temperature of 22-25 ºC until germination.
Care of leek seedlings
Plants should be aired daily, and to keep the soil slightly moist all the time, it is sprayed with a spray bottle. The first shoots appear after 10 days, and as soon as this happens, the cover is removed from the crops, they are exposed to bright diffused light, and the temperature is lowered during the day to 18-20, and at night to 12-14 ºC. The roots of the plants should be warm, so place a sheet of drywall or foam under the container with crops. Protect seedlings from direct sunlight and drafts. If the leek seedlings have sprouted too thickly, thin them out. Water the seedlings with warm water.
When the seedlings grow up and get stronger, they are fed with a solution of 20 g of ammonium nitrate, the same amount of potassium chloride and 40 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water per 1 m² of crops.
Planting leeks in open ground
When to plant leeks in open ground
From early days to mid-May, at the age of 50-60 days, leek seedlings are planted in the garden. On the eve of the leek seedlings, they should be watered abundantly, and in the process of transplanting, the leaves and roots of the seedlings are cut by one third. Planting leeks in the ground should be done in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day.
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Soil for leeks
Choose an open and sunny site for cultivation, away from trees and shrubs that block the light. The soil needs fertile, neutral reaction, water and breathable. Too acidic soils need to be limed. A plot is being prepared for planting leeks in the fall: for each m², a couple of tablespoons of Nitrophoska, a teaspoon of urea and a bucket of compost or humus are added for digging. In the spring, you need to scatter compost and humus over the site at the rate of 3 kg per m², but you do not need to dig it up - fertilizer will fall into the soil when planting seedlings and subsequent watering.
Leeks can then be planted
Leek grows well after crops such as peas, beans, soybeans and other legumes, green manure, white cabbage, tomatoes and early potatoes, but leeks should not be planted in areas where the latter for three years some kind of onion grew.
How to plant leeks outdoors
On the sixth or seventh week after germination, the seedlings begin to harden off, taking them out into the open air for a short time during the day, but gradually increasing the duration of the procedure. Seedlings prepared for outdoor life will be ready for transplanting.
The area prepared for the leek is leveled and grooves are made on it with a depth of 10-15 cm at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. The soil taken out of the furrows is fixed so that it does not crumble into the furrow. Leek planting is carried out in grooves at a distance of 10-25 cm between seedlings - depending on the variety. Before planting, the roots of the seedlings should be shortened to 4 cm and dipped in a mash, consisting in equal parts of clay, cow dung and water.
Seedlings are lightly dug in the furrow, without filling it completely, and watered abundantly so that there is no air left around the roots.
Planting leeks before winter
Leek is often grown by sowing directly into the ground before winter. The site is prepared in advance, in the summer they dig up and fertilize, and in November the seeds are laid out every 8-12 cm into grooves located at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Keep a close eye on the weather forecast: if it is too warm, the onion will have time to sprout, which will almost certainly die in the subsequent cold snap. Crops for the winter are mulched with peat and humus, and then covered with snow - the more it is on the site, the better: the snow will melt for a long time, and the leek will sprout when the return frosts have passed.
How and when to plant leeks outdoors in autumn
Caring for leeks
How to grow leeks
Growing and caring for leeks involves following procedures that are familiar to every gardener.
So how do you grow leeks? It is necessary to carry out regular watering, weeding and loosening of the soil in the rows, to fertilize, to protect against diseases and pests, but the most important procedure that allows you to get a bleached stem - and this is the main value of the leek - is the hilling of plants, which must be carried out 3-4 times during the growing season. Hilling begins in the middle of summer, and after each procedure, the site is mulched with chopped straw, dry grass or dry manure.
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As for loosening the soil around the plants, it should be carried out at least once every two weeks. As soon as the onion stalk reaches the thickness of a pencil in diameter, begin to gradually add the earth taken out of them during planting into the furrows during the loosening procedure. As soon as the furrow is completely closed, you can start hilling the plants.
Leek irrigation
Moisture is the basis for the growth of leeks, but the first three days after planting the seedlings in the garden, they should not be watered.
In the future, watering is carried out approximately once every five days, spending from 10 to 15 liters of non-cold water for each m².
Top dressing of leeks
Feed 3-4 times per season. Three weeks after planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to water the soil with a solution of 20 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of potassium salt in 10 liters of water - this amount will be enough for you for 4 m² of beds. Leek also responds well to organic top dressing - a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20). Before each hilling, sprinkle wood ash under the onion stalks at the rate of 1 glass of fertilizer per 1 m² of land.
Pests and diseases of leeks
Mosaic, a viral disease transmitted by aphids, is the most dangerous disease for leeks. You can identify the mosaic by the longitudinal yellow spots on the leaves of the onion. Affected plants are stunted.
Leek also suffers from fungal diseases, downy mildew and rust. Peronosporosis, or downy mildew, is manifested by fast-growing oval spots on onion leaves.
Affected plants become inedible.
Rust is also a fungal disease. It can be recognized by the bright yellow pads of fungal spores that appear on onion leaves. As the pads mature, they darken, then blacken, and the affected leaves dry up.
The main pest of leek is the onion fly, capable of causing irreparable damage to the crop. The onion fly can be seen already in mid-May - at this time it lays eggs in the soil and on the leaves, and after a couple of days larvae will appear that feed on the central part of the onion, which makes it rot and wither.
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Treatment of leeks
To protect the crop from the onion fly, use the pollination of the area with wood ash at the rate of one glass of ash per m² of beds. Instead of ash, tobacco dust or a mixture of tobacco dust and ash can be used. The treatment of soil and plants with ground pepper repels the fly (one teaspoon of pepper per m² of plot).
Whatever you pollinate the leeks, after processing, be sure to loosen the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm.
Tobacco infusion has proven itself in pest control. It is prepared as follows: a tablespoon of liquid soap and 200 g of tobacco are added to 10 liters of hot water, insisted for several hours, then the infusion is filtered and the plants are sprayed with it.
In order to definitely scare away the onion fly from the leek, you can plant celery between its rows.
How to deal with leek diseases? The causative agents of fungal diseases are destroyed by treating plants and soil in the area with a solution of Fitosporin or copper oxychloride. Unfortunately, viral diseases, like a mosaic, are incurable, so they are only controlled by agrotechnical methods:
- crop rotation;
- weed and pest control;
- using disinfected seeds for sowing;
- immediate removal of diseased plants from the bed;
- cultivation of resistant varieties of leeks.
Harvesting and storing leeks
Harvest leeks before the temperature in the garden drops to -5 ºC, as the plant can only tolerate frost down to -7 ºC. Dig up the leek with a shovel and leave it for a while at the edge of the furrow to dry. Then the plants are cleaned of the earth, trying not to get between the leaves, the onion roots are cut a little and sent for storage. Don't cut the leaves! - this will lead to the rapid withering of plants.
Leek is stored in different ways. For example, in a cellar at a temperature of -1 to +1 ºC and an air humidity of about 85%. A layer of wet river sand about 5 cm thick is poured at the bottom of the box, leek stalks are placed vertically on it, and sand is again poured between them - in this form, the onion is stored for up to six months.
You can store the leek in a box with damp sand on the balcony - if the box is well covered, the leek will easily survive frosts down to -7 ºC.
To store leeks in the refrigerator, choose the best quality plants, cut their roots and leaves, cool to 0 ºC, then quickly lay out 6-8 stems in perforated plastic bags and store at -5 ºC for 4- 5 months.
Leek is also stored in chopped form: washed, dried and chopped onion leaves and stalks are placed in a layer of up to 5 cm in plastic bags and stored in a freezer.
Types and varieties of leeks
According to the ripening time, leek varieties are divided into early, or summer, which are harvested in August or early September, mid-ripening, or autumn, ripening by October, and late, or winter.
Onion stalks of early varieties, which take from 130 to 150 days to mature, weigh from 200 to 350 g, and reach 3 cm in diameter. The leaves of early ripe varieties are narrow, green, rarely and at an acute angle located on a false stem, by the end of July they become rough. The most popular early maturing leek varieties are:
- Columbus is one of the best early maturing varieties of Dutch selection with excellent taste. In adulthood, the plant reaches a height of only 70-80 cm, and forms a leg 20 cm high, 6 cm in diameter and weighing 400 g.
The advantage of the variety is that it does not need hilling to bleach the stem; - Vesta is a productive variety, the plants of which reach a height of 150 cm, and the product stem, with constant hilling, can reach 30 cm in height and 350 g in weight. Vesta is distinguished by a wonderful sweetish taste;
- Elephant's trunk - the leg of this variety is formed up to 30 cm high, but only as a result of repeated hilling. The Elephant Trunk is distinguished by a good sweetish taste and the ability to be stored for a long time;
- Goliath - a plant with a bleached part up to 30 cm tall, up to 6 cm in diameter, weighing up to 200 g, with broad green or greyish-green leaves and a weak bulb;
- Kilima is a high-yielding mid-early variety, in which the bleached part reaches a height of 10 to 25 cm and 3-4 cm in diameter, weighing about 150 g.
Mid-season leek varieties are not as productive as the early ones, but they are superior in quality. Late varieties of leeks ripen for a long time - more than 180 days. Their productivity is the same as that of mid-season varieties, but they are stored longer. The leaves of the late onion are wide, blue-green in color, often with a waxy coating. They are very densely located on a false stem and depart from it at almost a right angle, which makes the plants look squat. Their legs are dense, thick and short. Popular late varieties of leek are: Leek is characterized by a high content of vitamins (B2, B1, E, C), carotene, as well as protein substances, potassium salts, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium and sulfur. This type of onion has the ability to increase the content of ascorbic acid by more than one and a half times during storage. The healing properties of leek have been known since antiquity: it was used in the treatment of gout, scurvy, rheumatism, obesity, metabolic disorders, beriberi, exhaustion, urolithiasis, mental and physical fatigue. Clinical studies have found that leeks have a choleretic and diuretic effect, increase appetite, improve liver function. Leek is also used to slow down the development of oncological diseases, such as cancer of the intestines, prostate and uterus. In addition, it restores the body, gives strength and improves tone during the spring beriberi. Leek is also used to heal abrasions and scratches, as well as to increase hemoglobin in the blood, in the treatment of tuberculosis and anthrax, streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, diarrhea, insomnia, chills, asthma attacks, arthritis and other diseases and disorders of the body. Leek has a minimum calorie content, so it can be classified as a dietary product and recommended to anyone who watches their figure or fights obesity. Fresh leeks are not recommended for diseases of the stomach and duodenum, but after heat treatment they will not cause harm. The product is contraindicated in diseases of the kidneys and bladder. Leek should be used with caution in people suffering from kidney stones, as it contains the substance oxalite. And overeating a leek can cause a headache even in a perfectly healthy person. Sections: Garden Plants Amaryllis Plants per L Onion Bulb vegetables This article is usually followed by Add a comment Some gardeners find it easier to grow onions than leeks. However, it is worth knowing that the gastronomic qualities and rich vitamin composition of leeks are significantly superior in their subtlety of taste (not spicy, but even slightly sweet) of their onion counterpart. Nevertheless, even a novice summer resident can plant and grow leeks on his site, which you will definitely see by reading this material to the end. Well, then you will learn when and how to plant leeks for seedlings (including whether it is possible to plant leeks directly into the ground, so to speak, grow them in a seedless way), how to properly care for a decent harvest. Contents In the south, due to earlier warming up of the earth and a long summer, leeks are planted with seeds directly into the ground; return frosts and a relatively belated onset of consistently warm weather. Therefore, due to the fact that the growing season of leeks is very long (about 6 months), it is better to grow leeks through seedlings in this region. As for the approximate planting dates, as a rule, seedlings are planted for leek seedlings from the end of February until the month of April . By the way! The site already has a separate material on how to determine when to plant leeks for seedlings , including favorable days according to the lunar calendar in 2022. The choice of containers for sowing leeks for seedlings is not limited to purchased options, you can always make a planting container yourself. By the way! An excellent option would be planting and growing leeks in peat tablets without a pick. In order for a leek to sprout successfully and grow quickly, it needs light and nutritious soil. You can buy ready-made potting soil from a gardening store, but ready-made potting mixes for eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers are great for this. Recipe for self-preparation of soil mixture for growing seedlings of leeks: Before sowing, it is desirable to decontaminate the prepared soil by one of the methods , spilling a warm solution of potassium permanganate, and even better Fitosporin . Before planting leek seeds, they must be treated for better germination, and it does not matter if you plant the leeks first in seedlings or directly in the ground. Remember! The optimal shelf life and, as a result, the germination of leek seeds is 3 years, then the chances for friendly seedlings of crops are significantly reduced. There are many ways to prepare leek seeds before planting. For example, you can simply soak the seeds in lukewarm water, soak for 24 hours, and then dry. Another processing option can be keeping the planting material in a thermos at a water temperature of about 40 degrees for 3-5 hours. After that, the seeds must be rinsed in cold water and dried. It is possible to dress leek seeds in a special solution, for example Fitosporina . Sowing seeds of leek occurs differently depending on the size of the planting container: if it is a separate container, for example, cups, then it is better to place 1 seed in each (although, for better further selection can be sown in 3-4, so that later only the strongest seedling is left). So, step-by-step instructions for planting leeks for seedlings: Video: planting leeks for seedlings You can also sow leeks in snail or non-woven napkin. How to do this, see the following video: cooler place. There the temperature in the room at night should be at the level of + 10-12 degrees, in the daytime - + 15-17 degrees. Under such conditions, planting should live for 1 week. Then the temperature must be raised again to + 13-15 degrees at night and + 18-20 degrees during the day. It is in this mode that you need to keep the seedlings until they are finally transplanted into open ground. Video: care of leek seedlings Onion seedlings require 12 hours of daylight to grow normally . Leek needs frequent and heavy watering . The soil should not be allowed to dry out, the leek germinates well only in moist soil. Important! Due to the fact that the stalks of young leek seedlings are very tender, they need to be watered very carefully. That is why a constant additional sprinkling of earth into the seedlings is required, which ensures the correct formation of the leek bulb. After 1 month from the moment of seedling formation, it is necessary to start thinning so that the distance between seedlings is somewhere between 3-4 cm. also stem thickening by pruning plants every 14 days, while maintaining the height of the onion at a level of 10 cm from the ground. Video: leek seedling care - pruning (cutting) Leek seedlings need a fertilizer feed for best growth. So, it is desirable to carry out exactly 2, top dressings. The first - a couple of weeks after germination and the second - about a week before transplanting to the garden. Can be used as ready-made fertilizers (for example, Kemira-universal or Nitroammophoska). Interesting! Bird droppings are what leeks need as fertilizer. To prepare such top dressing, you need to dilute 0.5 kg of litter in 10 liters of water, then water the plantings as carefully as possible, without falling on the seedlings themselves. A week or more before planting the leek in the ground (i.e. 7 weeks after the emergence of the first shoots), the seedlings require preliminary hardening . Therefore, gradually begin to take out planting containers with seedlings on the street (preferably left in partial shade), every day increasing the time of his stay in the open air. Please note! Picking leek seedlings is undesirable, so plant the seeds immediately in spacious containers. If you have planted the leek too thickly, then transplanting young seedlings must be carried out very, very carefully, in no case damaging the small roots. The appearance of 3-4 true leaves in leek seedlings is a signal for transplanting seedlings from planting containers into open ground. As a rule, this occurs approximately between 55 and 65 days from the moment of germination, depending on the variety chosen. If you haven't prepared the soil since autumn, don't worry, you can do it in spring too. Mark out the bed in advance, dig the ground and apply fertilizer (for digging). Leek does not favor or grow in acidic soils. Therefore, if you are not sure that we have a soil of neutral acidity, then add, for example, lime or dolomite flour . Tip! Leek grows very well next to beets, carrots, strawberries and celery, so they can be planted side by side, for example, in alternating beds. According to the crop rotation, if you plant a leek in a garden where legumes (peas) were previously grown, as well as potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage or green manure , then it will grow well. By the way! Do not plant onions in the same place 2 years in a row. Just before planting, lightly (1/3 or 1/4) pinch off the roots and top of the leek seedlings. Such shortening will have a positive effect on the speedy rooting and on the further production of better greenery. By the way! To improve the survival of seedlings, leek roots are recommended to be dipped in a clay mash with mullein (1 to 1). Leek seedlings are planted in small V-shaped grooves 10-12-13 cm deep and at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other and at a distance between rows of 35-45 cm. This planting pattern will be ideal for subsequent hilling of beds. Leek can be planted in separate containers and in individual holes. Important! Do not forget to lightly sprinkle the grooves (furrows) with a mixture of humus and ash before planting onions (1 bucket of humus per 0.
These varieties need 150 to 180 days to mature. Mid-season plants have blue-green leaves up to 7 cm wide and a stem weighing up to 200 g and up to 25 cm high. The best leek varieties in this group: up to 35 cm, with a weakly expressed bulb and narrow, grooved, vertically arranged leaves of dark green color with an anthocyanin tinge; 
The variety is cold resistant; Properties of leeks - harm and benefits
Useful properties of leeks
Leek is used to prepare mashed soups, borscht, pickles, it is used as an ingredient in multi-component dishes - vegetable stew, scrambled eggs, casseroles, salads, leeks are also added to pizza. Braised leeks seasoned with lemon dressing are used as a side dish. Leek - contraindications
Literature
Batun: growing from seeds in the garden
Green shallots: growing on sawdust in the window outdoor planting and care
How to plant leeks for seedlings: timing, preparatory measures and staged planting 
Sowing dates
Required planting containers and soil
Heavy (dense) or excessively clay soil does not suit him.
Seed preparation and treatment before sowing
Planting seeds for seedlings
Care of leek seedlings after planting 
Therefore, when sowing early, you need to immediately think about how you will illuminate the leek: these will be more expensive fitolamps or economical LED counterparts.
Pick
Method for planting leek seedlings in open ground: terms, rules and rules for further care
5 liter jar of ash).
Leek care includes the following agrotechnical measures:
- hilling;
- loosening and weeding;
- watering;
- groundbait;
- treatment for diseases and pests.
After the young seedlings take root, and the stalks reach a thickness of 0.5-0.7 cm (so to speak, they become like pencils), then you can already start doing light hilling, namely: little by little pour the earth under the stems. Real hilling can be started only after 45-60 days from the date of planting the seedlings.
Please note! Hilling is the most important part of leek care. it is this that leads to the bleaching of the lower parts of its stem.
If you ignore regular hilling (for the whole season it must be done 4 to 5 times), then you will grow a tasteless green "trunk".
leek should be watered frequently, about once every 4-6 days. Naturally, if the days are hot and the weather is dry, then it is necessary to increase the amount of watering. You can water with cold water, somewhere at the rate of 1 bucket of water per 1 sq. garden meter.
Important! It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil, as constant moisture stagnation adversely affects the growth and development of onions, and can also contribute to its diseases. However, the same applies to the lack of moisture in plantings.
By the way! The site already has a general article on the rules for watering onions .
Leek responds very well to feeding chicken manure with the addition of phosphorus and potash fertilizers. It is necessary to breed in the following proportion: 1 part of litter and 20 parts of water.
In addition to hilling, fertilizing and watering, regular loosening and weeding of plantings from weeds should definitely be included in the care of the leek.
Seedless leeks
As mentioned earlier, seedless leeks are only suitable for southern areas.
With the onset of April-May, when the earth warms up enough and stable warm weather sets in, the time for sowing leek seeds in open ground is also suitable. This is due to the fact that onion seedlings do not tolerate frost, although they are quite resistant to cold.
The basic requirements for a bed for planting leeks with seeds in open ground are as follows:
- The soil must in no case be acidic and heavy, leeks grow well only on light and neutral soils;
- a place for a bed on the site is better to choose well-lit and moisture-retaining.
Step-by-step instructions for planting leek seeds outdoors are as follows:
- Treat the seeds (of course, you can use the same methods as for sowing seedlings)
- Preparing a garden bed. First dig the soil to a depth of 20-25 cm (shovel bayonet), and then add fertilizer to it, and then dig again and lightly tamp.
- Now you need to make grooves and sow seeds in them at a distance of 10 cm and sprinkle with earth.
Further care of leeks is fundamentally no different from care of onions grown from seedlings.
When to harvest and how to store
The harvest time of leek is determined by its variety: certain varieties can be harvested as early as late summer - August, others created for long storage - only in mid-autumn, that is, starting from October .
How to harvest leeks for storage? First you need to dig the plant, and then pull it out, holding the stem with both hands.
Loose earth makes it easy to pull out the stems without resorting to the use of additional funds. Now the onion needs to be cut to 20-30 centimeters in length, while shortening the roots to 1.5-2.5 cm. Be careful not to cut the roots completely, otherwise the leek will simply rot during storage.
Leek can be stored in a basement or cellar, perhaps even a shed or garage. It is only important that the air temperature is at least 0 degrees.
Pearl onions, subject to the optimal storage temperature, have every chance and opportunity to lie like this until spring and not lose their useful properties.
By the way! The leek has one very distinctive feature: during storage, the level of ascorbic acid in it rises by 150%.
Video: growing, harvesting and storing leeks
As you already understood, growing strong and healthy seedlings of leeks and correctly planting them in open ground will not be difficult even for a beginner vegetable grower and summer resident.
