EXTENDING THE SEASON WITH LEEKS

With plenty of varieties to choose from, leeks are a must-grow vegetable for extended cropping, says Martin Fish

- Martin Fish

As winter vegetables go, leeks are one of the best. They are easy to grow, reliable and hardy – and of course supply you with fresh, tasty, nutritious leeks for at least six months of the year.

A member of the onion family, leeks are biennials, although we grow them as annuals. The fleshy white shanks are harvested in the first growing season before they flower. If left to grow into a second season, they will produce a tall flower spike and seed.

When it comes to varieties, the seed catalogues carry a good range. Some are tried and tested old varieties and other modern hybrids. There are also some very good British-bred leeks available that have been grown especially for our winters and perfect for growing in cooler, northern areas.

GROWING

A well-drained, fertile soil is ideal and to help it retain moisture through the summer, plenty of well-rotted organic matter can be incorporated. Leeks are also greedy feeders, so you’ll need to make sure they are fed through the growing season by applying a general fertiliser at planting-out time.

Sowing can be done in containers to produce seedlings, or by sowing the seeds directly into the garden and transplanting the seedlings out when several inches tall.

You can start to sow as early as January in a heated greenhouse, but March or April sowings will still produce a good crop by late autumn.