Rewards From The Old Practice Of Growing Leeks
The rewards of growing leeks are in producing a vegetable that is both interesting and tasty. In fact they are part of the culture of Wales. They are also very popular accompaniments to meat dishes and can help to make vegetarians’ meals more interesting.
Chinese leeks are known as ‘Jiu Huangse’, and are yellow, unlike their white European counterparts. The western hemisphere plants have the Latin appellation of Allium ampeloprasum, and are closely related to the onion and to garlic. European plants have thicker stems than the longer and thinner Turkish variety.
New varieties of seeds have been produced that are able to remain for longer periods in northern winters. In temperate climates it is possible to grow winter crops with normal seeds. The plant is very adaptable and grown across much of the Globe. In northern and southern hemispheres it adapts to the different seasons perfectly but it does have a preference for cooler climes.
New varieties are being developed continually and this is a good reason to buy fresh treated seed. Although they may be planted directly into open ground many people prefer to plant them in trays or containers with one seed per compartment. They may be developed in these containers for eight to ten weeks before being transplanted into the ground where they will remain until harvested.
Two steps should be taken before the seedlings are transplanted. First, the seedlings may be toughened up by sending them to a school of hard knocks where there is more sunlight and less water. This will help prepare them for real life in the open ground. Second, ground should be prepared either with holes or a trench that is about four inches deep. Rows should be about twenty inches apart and the space between each plant should be about four inches.
The aim of cultivation is to develop a stem that is white and succulent. It should also be as long and thick as possible. Gardeners try to blanch the stems of their plants by drawing the earth around them to prevent sunlight making them green and sometimes bitter. In China straw tunnels are sometimes used to keep the stems as yellow as possible.
Soil should be deep and well aerated with a pH of about six. This cool weather crop likes plenty of water and nitrogen which should be applied as the crop grows. The nitrogen can be supplied as a side dressing but should also be present in the deep ground at the time of transplantation. Growing leeks from seed to harvest will take about six months and prove an interesting and rewarding garden exercise.
And finally, visit VegetableGardensMadeEasy.com for more vegetable gardening tips.