How To Sow Leeks
(continued - page 2)

Sowing Leeks
Wait till early to mid-spring before sowing leek seed, depending on the weather.  They can either be sown in a seed bed for transplanting the following summer, or sown in their permanent positions.  If you sow in a seed bed you have the added bother of transplanting, but this must be balanced out by the fact that if they are sown in their permanent position, they will take up a lot of space for a long time before producing results.

Sow the leek seed thinly (about 100 seeds to the metre/3 foot) as germination is usually very good, in drills about 0.5 cm (1/4 in) deep and cover the seeds with fine sifted soil.  If the seeds are properly stored they will be viable for about four years, so you can keep seeds for future use.  After covering the seeds firm the soil down and water if dry.  Drills should be about 15 cm (6 in) apart in the permanent bed.

Germination should take about 14-21 days and thinning should begin as soon as possible, when the pants are not more than thin green shoots, about six weeks from sowing. Thin the seedling to about 5cm (2in) the first time as some of the plants may die, and then thin again when everything seems to be going well, so that the plants are about 10 cm (4 in) apart.

Planting out Leeks
By mid summer when the plants are about as thick as a pencil and 20 cm (8 in) high, they will be ready for transplanting to their permanent position. If you are able to plant during showery weather the young plants will settle more quickly, otherwise water the bed the day before if the soil is dry.  To plant leeks in holes, use a thick dibber or trowel and make the holes 15 cm (6 in) deep and 15-23 cm (6-9 in) apart, depending on what size of leek you want.  Make sure the holes are vertical and move the dibber about from side to side so that they are slightly larger at the top.  The holes should be about 5 cm (2 in) in diameter. Cut back the roots until they are 2.5 cm (1 in) long and trim the tips of the leaves back slightly. Lower the young leeks gently into the holes and fill the holes with water.  The water will wash enough soil over the base of the plant to allow it to become established. As you hoe the ground from time to time the holes will gradually fill up with soil. 

Another way of growing leeks is to plant them 25 cm (10 in) apart in a trench. This method is particularly good if you have deep, fertile soil.  The trench should be dug to a depth of about 30 cm (1 ft) and if there is going to be more than one trench they should be 75 cm (2 ft 6in) apart. If you try to dig the trenches too close together, the walls are likely to collapse.  Put in the bottom of the trenches about 7.5 cm (3 in) of well rotted garden compost and cover it with about 15 cm (6 in) of topsoil. Carefully plant the leeks so that they are absolutel upright in the bottom of the trenches, then water in as described above.

Care of Leeks
Water the young plants well, especially in fry conditions, until they are well established. Soon after planting apply a liquid manure. Hoe between the rows regularly to keep down the weeds and also this will aerate the soil. Frequent hoeing will also create a dust which helps conserve moisture. Leaves which grow too long can be trimmed back slightly so that they do not rest on the ground. Cut the long dark leaves back by about 5 cm (2 in) in early summer and again in mid summer, and a third time if it is necessary, in early autumn.

Blanching Leeks
Blanching leeks increases the proportion of plant which is edible and improves the flavour which would otherwise be strong and harsh. Start blanching in mid August, this is a gradual process and should be done in several stages rather than all at once. There are several methods of blanching depending on which way the leeks are growing.

If you have your leeks growing in a trench, blanching consists of gradually filling in the trench with soil to the bottom of the lowest leaves each time until the plants have finished growing, which will probably be around mid to late autumn, this also depends on the weather.  This should give you at least 10-15 cm (4-6 ins) of blanched stems. The soil used for earthing-up must be dry and of a fine texture. If you use wet earth rot is liable to set in and if the soil is lumpy it will be difficult to handle and wont keep out the light properly.

If the leeks are grown on the flat surface, push the soil up around the plants increasing the soil depth by about 5 cm (2 in) each time. You can keep the stems free of soil by using collars, which are secured around the leeks up to the base of the leaves. Various materials can be used for the collar, lengths sawn from plastic piping, clay drain pipes or at virtually no cost, pieces of strong brown paper tied up with string or rubber bands. Whatever type of collar you decide on the minimum diameter should be 7.5 cm (3 in) and 30-37.5 (12-15 in) long.

Attach the collars before carrying out the earthing-up process.  As the plants grow, draw up more and more soil with a hoe fitting another collar above the first one.

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