Leeks don’t play second fiddle to onions! These tasty vegetables have a subtler and sweeter taste than their cousin, the onion, and have been lauded throughout history for their medicinal properties.

Their long, cylindrical stems grow underground with only the long, flat leaves (which fold into multiple layers) visible above ground. Leeks are biennials; the leaves are formed in the first growth stage while the seeds and flowers are produced in the second stage.

Sowing tips

• Luckily for leek growers, these plants adapt well to various weather conditions. In colder regions, sow from spring to autumn. In warmer regions, sow from late summer to autumn, so the plant can grow during the winter months.
• Sow seeds in seed boxes or pots. When the plant reaches 15cm it is ready to be transplanted.
• Prepare the soil well with fertiliser and mix in organic compost and NPK 2:3:2. If your soil is acidic simply add some lime to neutralise it.
• Dig holes about 2-3cm across and 15cm deep. The holes must be 15-18cm apart, in rows about 25-30cm apart.
• Plant the seedlings deep enough so that the leaf tips protrude.

Growing tips

• Cover the stem in soil, but make sure you keep the central growth point open.
• Water the plant regularly.
• Spray with a nitrogenous fertilizer every two or three weeks.
• You can cut back small root branches, which grow out of the trunk – should you leave them, they’ll just grow further.

Harvesting tips

• The plant should mature within 16-20 weeks, but you can harvest slightly earlier – it’s ready once the trunk has a circumference of about 1-2cm.

Pests and plagues

• Downy mildew makes marks on the leaves and leaf tips. Treat it by spraying the leaves with mancozeb.
• Powdery orange trails on the leaves are a sign of rust – spray with mancozeb or remove and burn the infected leaves.
• Thrips, yellowish brown or black insects, suck the juices from the plant and can be distinguished by the silver sheen that appears on the leaves. Spray the plant with mercaptothion or endosulfan.

Words and image: Home magazine