Leeks are a winter staple
by Sarah - October 3rd, 2011.Filed under: allotment, garden.
Leeks are a great winter vegetable as well as being grown for summer eating.
Summer leek types are generally smaller than overwintering types; overwintering types are generally more strongly flavored. Varieties include King Richard and Tadorna Blue.
If you love leek and potato soup then they are an essential to get growing.
Grow from seeds in modules and plant out. Easy!
Dib your hole for the leek, put in the hole and water in. That’s it. Don’t trim the leaves and roots as some old books say to as this doesn’t help the plants at all.
Leek soup, leek and potato, use with chinese duck too!
Prizetaker/ Lyon Leek Seeds from Garden Bargains £1.10
Long stemmed leeks of exhibition standard
Leek ‘King Richard’ – 1 packet (125 seeds) from Thompson & Morgan £2.29
A very early variety. Leek King Richard produces extra long, slim stems which don’t need earthing up and are ideal for slicing. From earliest sowings it is ready in June-July, and later sowings, August-September, stay ready for use until Christmas. You can also direct sow Leek King Richard without the need to transplant, or grow closer together for delicious, succulent mini leeks.
Leek ‘Below-Zero’ F1 Hybrid – 1 packet (50 seeds) from Thompson & Morgan £2.99
British breeding has combined the vigour of an F1 Hybrid with extreme cold tolerance to produce quality leeks which will withstand the harshest of weathers. Dark leaves, pure white stems with no bulbing, long standing ability and bolting and rust tolerant. Lift fresh superb quality stems from Christmas to May.
Leek ‘Cairngorm’ F1 Hybrid – 1 packet (40 seeds) from Thompson & Morgan £2.99
Grow this prizewinning show leek individually in pots! The first F1 leek from seed, produced by British breeding from specially selected top prize-winning show leeks, has superb vigour and uniformity as a pot leek. Early autumn maturity makes Cairngorm ideal for the show bench as well as outside in the vegetable plot, where stems will stand until after Christmas.
Leek Kingston F1 Seeds from Plant Me Now £2.99
Really fast growing long tasty stems for early cropping. Excellent for baby leeks and for growing at closer spacing. Good source of vitamin C, iron and folate.