Leek

To sow

I sow leeks in a fairly large box, it depends on how much you want, of course. The seeds are covered with a layer of soil, about 1 cm. When the leeks start to look up, they are thin and fragile and are easier to handle in clusters. It took me three times to get the little shoots to survive. I have both dried them out and soaked them. So it’s not the crop I think is the easiest to grow. But last year we succeeded fantastically well and we are still harvesting leeks in the greenhouse. It looks like it will last until the next round comes up.

When the leek comes up and starts to split, you can cut it a little at the top. It’s great to have the cut on a salad, sandwich or in food and the leek becomes a little more stable and not so long and lanky.

To grow

I usually leave the leeks in the same box until it’s time to plant them in the garden, and that’s because they are so thin and delicate and easily break when handled. If the roots start to stick out from under the growing trough, you can place a dish with soil underneath so the roots can find their way further and not be exposed to the sun. When you put the leeks out in the garden, you divide them and plant them one by one. The leek can be advantageously cupped, then the white part will be longer. Like all onions, it wants a lot of nutrition.

To harvest

You can harvest the leeks as you need them. Just pull the leek out of the soil and it’s ready to use. It is also fine to continue topping the leek stem and thus let the plant continue to grow.

To store and refine

Before last year, we got few and thin leeks. Then we brought them all in, rinsed, sliced and dried them. Then we stored the dry leek in glass jars in the kitchen and used them in cooking. It tasted good but was somewhat chewy and needed to be fried or boiled to be good. Last year we got many large leeks. When winter began to approach, I replanted the leeks that were left in the greenhouse. I left some outside in the garden. We harvested the ones out in the garden first, but they had time to experience both snow and frost and coped well. The ones in the greenhouse are still standing and it feels absolutely fantastic to be able to go out and harvest fresh leeks in the middle of the coldest winter. I have seen others who did not replant the leeks into the soil but instead put a bunch in a bucket and covered the roots with soil. It is an easier and faster way than digging a hole for each onion and we will try that this year. It is also possible to leave the leeks in the garden all winter, but it is probably good to protect them with hay, planting fabric or the like. Support the planting fabric so that the snow does not weigh it down too much.

Quick guide

• Sow indoors in January/February
• Top the onion when it looks lanky
• Plant out one by one when the risk of frost is over
• Wants a lot of nutrition
• Harvest as needed
• Can remain in the garden over the winter if covered or put into a greenhouse