Allium ampeloprasumvar.porrum
The leek looks like a steroid - fueled green onion . It ’s considerably fatter than a scallion , at one to three inches wide-eyed , and about twice as tall . But it totally wear off the same kit , albeit in a bigger size .
It is in fact touch to onion , offering a meek , sweet , Allium cepa - alike flavor that is used to flavor any phone number of dishes – more on that later in this clause .
Leeks are a cool - weather crop , with an ideal growing - temperature ambit of 55 to 75 ° degree Fahrenheit . Likecollard greens , they appreciate a hoar or two for best flavor development .
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Most varieties are hardy to Zones 7 or 8 , though some types can tolerate cooler weather condition . We ’ll offer some specifics before long .
The plant is a biennial , though equipment casualty and dieback due to a voiceless frost will make it an yearly .
The uppermost , leafy unripe part of the plant is called the “ flag , ” and the ashen part is usually called the “ root word ” or “ haunt , ” though botanically verbalise these are misnomers .
The white part of the plant is technically a tight bundle of leafage sheath .
Ready to dive in to the fascinating world of the scallion ? Here ’s what ’s to come in this article :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
Propagation
How to Grow
Cultivars
Pests and Disease
Harvesting
Preserving
It ’s fourth dimension to get growing !
Leeks are aboriginal to the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East . They were cultivated in Egypt more than 4,000 geezerhood ago , and relish by the workers who build the Pyramids of Egypt .
As well as being a staple in the dieting of ordinary mass , apparently the Saturnia pavonia Nero was partial of a leek or two , eat them almost daily to strengthen his voice .
Common name(s):Leek
Plant type : Biennial vegetable
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):5 - 10
Native to : Mediterranean
time of year : Spring
Exposure : Full sun
Soil type : Rich and well run out
Soil pH:6.0 - 7 , slightly acidic to neutral
fourth dimension to maturity:80 - 150 days , depends on variety
Spacing : 6 inch
Planting profundity : seeded player -1/8 inch , seedlings – half the profoundness
fledged size:6 - 12 inches wide x 2 - 3 feet gamey
Water Needs:1 inch per calendar week
Taxonomy
Order : Apiales
Family : Amaryllidaceae
Genus : Allium
Species : A. ampeloprasum var . porrum
Cultivars : various
The Greek physician Hippocrates is thought to have prescribed this vegetable as a cure for olfactory organ bleeds .
Leeks make an coming into court in what is regard as the world ’s first cookbook , “ Apicius de re Coquinaria , ” ( “ On the Subject of Cooking ” ) compile in fourth- to fifth - hundred Rome .
The formula collection includes several for leeks , most of which showcase it not as a flavouring for other foods , but as a veggie to be enjoyed on its own .
It is think that the vegetable go around across Europe and to the British Isles by the Romans . Europeans brought the vegetable to North America .
For grounds that are not completely understood , the veg is today the interior emblem of Wales and is worn proudly on St. David ’s Day – a holiday to observe the country ’s patron saint .
you could produce leek from seed or , like the ananas , propagate it from kitchen scraps .
From Seed
outset seed indoorsin pots or seed trays . Scatter seeds on top of a rich potting mix , and then cover them with a scant dusting of soil .
you may look germination within five to 12 day .
Or you could direct sow outdoors , as long as air temperature are below 77 and above 55 ° atomic number 9 . The optimum temperature for germination is between 70 and 77 ° F .
Seedlings will be ready to transpose when they ’re six to eight inches marvellous .
season them off by moving them outside for a few hours each solar day , gradually lengthening the sentence spent outside each day for about a week .
When you ’re ready to transfer , remove seedlings from the dirt and softly separate them .
make narrow cakehole in your prepared bed that are about one-half as thick as the seedlings , from the root to the top of the stem .
The hole should be narrow-minded , not more than an column inch in diam , and can be made by poking a dowel or ‘ dibber ’ into the ground – as contradict to digging a hollow with a garden nigga .
They should be spaced 6 inch apart in dustup that are one foot apart .
position the seedlings into the hole ; some of the green part may be below the soil aerofoil , and that ’s all right for this flora .
fulfill the holes with water , but do not backfill the hole with grease . The grunge will bit by bit crumble in , but it will be loose , allowing the leeks to swell to a chubby diameter as they grow .
From Scraps
you’re able to also start up a new works from the stock-still second at the end of a leek stalk .
Simply swerve off and employ the top , leave at least an inch of stalk at the end , with the roots integral . Place this moment in a cupful , add pee to cover about half the stalk , put it in a cheery windowpane , and soon you will have more greens shoot up .
you’re able to also employ toothpicks to freeze the cutting in water supply , as you would with an avocado Inferno .
Once the top part has started to show new ontogenesis of two to three inches , you’re able to plant it out in the garden . Alternatively , keep it in the water to retain growing and harvest straight from your windowsill !
scallion choose deep , well - draining dirt with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 . They need a lower limit of eight hours of smart sun daily .
Many variety involve a retentive growing period of 120 to 150 days , but newer cultivar may ask as few as 90 twenty-four hour period to mature .
With a shallow solution system , leeks take about an inch of piss per calendar week , sotrack your local precipitation ratesand irrigate if it does n’t rain .
Mulch the growing area well .
The snowy part of the leek is the most suitable for cooking and feeding , being crank and less fibrous than the putting green . Therefore , gardeners often hill the dirt around the diaphysis to forbid that part of the works from making chlorophyl and turn green .
or else , you may forge a sheath out of cardboard or other porous fabric to envelop around the angry walk as it grow . It needs to be unintelligible but still allow for some airflow , otherwise the scallion may start to decompose .
About midway through the growing season , side arrange the growing area about six inches aside from the plant with a balanced fertilizersuch as a 10 - 10 - 10 NPK mixat a charge per unit of one cupful for 10 feet of row .
Leeks are highly patient of of coldness . reckon on the mixed bag , they can take temperature down to 5 ° F or so , and a frost or two is said to better their feel .
But you emphatically want to pull them before the primer freezes .
If you survive in a place where you may overwinter Allium porrum , see that they will in all probability run off in springtime if they ’ve been expose to frosts and then the weather warm up .
If it ’s their second year of life , they ’ll bolt regardless , being biennial .
So pull them before the weather gets too tender , or let a few dash for seed saving purposes . The round purple , lavender , or pinkish flowers are quite attractive , and after they go to germ , you’re able to reap and save the seed for planting next year .
To do this , gazump the pods when they start to crack open . Place them in composition bags to dry , then rock the bags to separate the seed from the chaff .
If you store the seeds in a cool , dry seat , they should remain feasible for up to three years .
you could eat the leek after they decamp , but they ’re not very good .
Cultivars to Select
As referenced throughout this clause , a number of leek cultivars are available , all with various enticing qualities .
American Flag
This heirloom form is intrepid and will winter in soft clime . ‘ American Flag ’ grows to 20 inches tall and 1.5 - 2 in thickset . It has boneheaded , blue - light-green leaves .
‘ American Flag ’
‘ American Flag ’ matures in 130 days . regain ejaculate in a variety show of quantitiesfrom Eden Brothers .
Early Giant
adept for planting in early springiness , ‘ former Giant ’ has a shorter maturation geological period of 98 days . This heirloom motley is known for its coherent size and outstanding flavor .
‘ former Giant ’
Eden Brothers sellsa number of quantity of seeds of this miscellany .
Autumn Giant Leek
This tall heirloom grows as tall as 30 inch , with stalk that can accomplish three inches wide at maturity . ‘ Autumn Giant ’ is quick to reap in 135 to 150 day .
‘ Autumn Giant ’
Get packages of about 50 seedsfrom Frozen Seed Capsules via Amazon .
Lancelot
This adaptable hybrid grows a 12- to 14 - inch white shaft with dingy blue - green flags . ‘ Lancelot ’ grows well in many zones , and matures in 75 days .
‘ Lancelot ’
package of 72 seedlings of this cultivar areavailable from Burpee .
Leeks , regrettably , are impacted by a few dirt ball and several type of fungi .
Insects
Keep an eye out for these insect pests :
These tiny , 1/8 - inch flies are in the main yellow , dark gray , or black , or a compounding thereof . They leave thin , white , winding track on leaves . You might also see livid splotch on leaves .
The fly lays its egg in the leaf , and the larvae provender on the leaf ’s interior .
expend neem vegetable oil to get rid of these pests .
Find more tips on leafminer mastery here .
The tiny white larvae of this quarter - inch grey fly emerge from egg laid on leek leaf or in the soil , and then bore into the plant life . They arise to about half an inch long , using their feeding hooks to rupture up the plant .
This is damage in and of itself , and the damaged plants are also more susceptible to other pathogens , such as bacteria .
Leaves of affect plants turn yellow and the stalk rots .
Prevention – such as through crop rotation – is the good way to prevent an plague .
One a plant is impacted , it must be dug up and destroyed .
Yellow or black dots on plant may be a symptom of thrips . Another augury is leaves that turn silver or gray , or leave that twist and die .
Thrips are small winged dirt ball that harm plants by soak up fluids out . Control them with insecticidal soap , neem oil , or spinosa , a biologic pesticide .
learn more about thrip recognition and control here .
Disease
Leeks may be plagued by a number of case of fungi , all of which can betreated with a commercial-grade fungicide .
skilful airflow and proper planting techniques and watering exercise , as well as diligently ridding the bed of errant locoweed , can aid to protect your plants .
Here are the primary culprits :
Rust is a fungal disease that presents as orangish pustules on leaves .
This fungus is characterize by small clean lesions reverberate in light putting green .
Seedlings that arise slowly and then wilt and perish may be a foretoken of damping off . Root tips of pretend plants may be tan , yellow , mordant , or pink . Learn more about this disease here .
Purplish - gray blurry increment on leaf surfaces maybe a sign of sericeous mold . You may see pale spot on leaves , surveil by widespread leaf yellowing and collapse foliage bakshish .
Stunted plant with undersized shafts may be a sign of pink root , which also have roots to plow light pink and then darken to purple . The theme may be transparent and water system - soaked .
imperial blotch present on the flag or still hunt with small , water - soaked lesions with whitened centers . These blotches enlarge and become brown or purple , with yellowish edges . Foliage may die .
White rot can stunt ontogenesis , causing yellowing of leaves , and eventual death of all foliage . You may see a fluffy white growth at the base of the plant .
Most leek potpourri are full educate when the radical grow to be a lower limit of one inch in width . Some small varieties , however , mature at one - half to three - fourths of an inch in diameter .
Check your seed packetsso you sleep together what to look for . A just quality Allium porrum should have a firm , white shaft of light that ’s more than three inches long .
Leeks can be harvested whenever they ’ve turn over their hope size . scallion tops do not die back as the plant matures , unlike withonionsandshallots , so you ca n’t swear on that marker .
merely distort and – gently – pull leeks to harvest them . Or you’re able to dig around them if the ground is dry , and wind them up . you’re able to trim flags to a more achievable distance for memory board , if you care .
Seeour guide to how to harvest leeksfor seven expert tips .
Store leeks in an airtight plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the icebox ; they ’ll stay fresh for about a week .
In really frigid surface area , there ’s a longer - term storage pick :
After harvest , allow for the roots attach , but cut the flag back to about an in . Place stems origin - end down in a box seat and fill it with sand , vermiculite , or sawdust .
Keep the wadding moist , but not waterlogged , and store in a cool spot , where they will keep for about eight hebdomad .
you could freeze down these veggies too . rinse them exhaustively ( more on this shortly ) , slice up them , and blanch for one minute in simmering water supply .
Blanching help vegetable to hold back their coloring and nutrients , and it destroys enzyme that can induce spoil .
Drain the blanched slice , dry them , and place them in zip - top plastic Deepfreeze bags for storage . They should keep for three to four months .
It’s Smelling a Bit Strong in Here
Most gardeners who ’ve full-grown scallion consider them to be fair easy to grow .
As long as you give them nutritious soil , some fertilizer , and sufficient water , they should do well in your garden . You ’ll also require to keep an eye out for cuss and fungi .
If you ’re not abysmally conversant with leek as an constituent in your cooking , try expanding your kitchen repertoire with this scrumptious allium . What good direction to do that is there than by grow your own ?
While we ’re exploring the alliums , why not suss out out a fewonion articles ? Give these a read next :
Photos by Fanny Slater and Raquel Smith © call for the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . primitively publish December 3rd , 2019 . Last update January 19th , 2025 . Cartesian product photos via Burpee , Eden Brothers , Seeds4planting , and Amazon . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . extra writing and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .
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Gretchen Heber
