St David’s Day is almost upon us (March 1), and is a timely moment for gardeners to celebrate by growing leeks, a national symbol of Wales that add delicious flavour to casseroles, sauces and vegetable side dishes.
Not only are they a really useful winter veg that you can leave in the ground until you need them, you can also raise a tasty crop of baby leeks to use in summer, which can easily be raised in pots.
So, where do you start?
Sow seeds in spring
Unless you want a whopping giant leek for a competition, you can make your first sowings in March and continue through April. If you have a large vegetable plot or an allotment, sow them in a seedbed in drills 1-2cm deep and 15cm apart, sowing them thickly – you can use the thinnings in salads.
Photo of someone planting leek seedlings in the ground. Picture credit: iStock/PA
If you want an earlier crop, sow them in a seed tray in a heated greenhouse from mid to late winter, pricking out the seedlings into modular trays. Then, in April or May you can harden them off outside before growing them on in their final position.
Transplant seedlings
You can transplant strong seedlings that have grown to around 20cm high (about pencil thickness) in May and June into firm soil, using a large dibber or thick piece of cane to make a hole around 15cm deep and 15cm apart before dropping the seedling in so only the top 5cm of foliage is sticking out.
Trim the ends of the leaves and any long or damaged roots with scissors before replanting and once the whole row has been planted, water them in well and avoid backfilling them with soil – the water should settle the soil around them.
They prefer a sunny, sheltered spot in well-weeded ground and need to be well-watered in long dry periods.
