{"id":346,"date":"2010-11-19T22:55:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-19T22:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gsu.eventmedialabs.com\/?p=346"},"modified":"2015-07-20T22:32:44","modified_gmt":"2015-07-20T21:32:44","slug":"leeks-not-a-tricky-veg-to-grow-afterall-why-not-give-them-a-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/leeks-not-a-tricky-veg-to-grow-afterall-why-not-give-them-a-go\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Grow Leeks"},"content":{"rendered":"
I avoided growing leeks for years because I thought they looked difficult in all the books \u2013 a tricky vegetable,\u00a0involving more than sticking a seed into the soil.\u00a0\u00a0So, taking my own advice (for a change), I avoided growing them and anything else that looked remotely challenging.<\/p>\n
However, after a time, I\u00a0felt a bit braver\u00a0and had a go. Surprise….\u00a0leeks really are very easy to grow and they\u2019re great for filling in the so-called hungry gap that gardening books often refer to \u2013 the time of year when nothing much is growing outside.<\/p>\n
They make delicious soups and stir fries and children often prefer the more delicate flavour. They’re also full of vitamins:\u00a0 folates, B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.<\/p>\n
Depending upon which variety you choose, you may have to dig them up before the first severe frost as they\u00a0can freeze solid,\u00a0then go soggy and slimy as they defrost in the ground.<\/p>\n
So, unless you\u2019ve grown a variety you know is particularly hardy, harvest them if they\u2019re mature enough –\u00a0heel them in <\/a>if you have the space, or slice, blanch and freeze them, ready to use whenever you need them.<\/span><\/p>\n Varieties are available that can be harvested from late summer onwards, known as early, mid or late type. That just means that some take longer to mature than others. Living where we do I\u2019ve tended to sow the hardier, later maturing varieties such as Siegfried, Musselburgh and Atlanta as they can all be overwintered.<\/p>\n Seeds can be sown directly into the soil, but I find it easier to plant them into modules and transplant them – as they sprout they resemble fresh grass and can easily be mistaken for weeds. You can plant three or four seeds in each module about 1cm deep, either in fresh multipurpose compost or in special seed compost.<\/p>\n Unless you have a propagator when you can start them off earlier, sow them around March to April. Word of advice \u2013 sow lots! We never seem to have enough.<\/p>\nHow to Grow Leeks<\/span><\/h2>\n