Leeks
(Allium porrum)
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Cultivars
Leeks we think very nearly a great vegetable; but, whichever side of "great" they lie on, they are assuredly quite indispensable in civilized eating. Selecting varieties, however, is a
daunting task. We probably went through more web-reading over this vegetable than any other. (That was written before we got to onions and peppers.)
The problem is that the many, many varieties of leek available even to home gardeners cannot be compared simply, because they fall into classes (one academic source, writing for
commercial growers, distinguishes six such classes) based on their intended seasonal growth: some are meant to be harvested early and small, others to remain in the ground for,
yes, well over a full year. Try the wrong kind (or the right kind the wrong way) and you'll likely be very disappointed.
Cutting across the nice distinctions the commercial growers have to make, the chief difference between type classes is whether or not they're intended to remain in the ground throughout
the winter--that is, are they for harvest this year or next? The simplistic "days to maturity" numbers in seed catalogues are at best crudely indicative (low day numbers, like 75 or 80,
will normally mark cultivars not suitable for overwintering).
It appears from the literature that the best leeks--in size certainly, and possibly in quality--come from the overwintering varieties. Most sources recommend a type or two, but almost
all end up saying or implying that every gardener should trial until satisfied. Our first concern is to find a reasonably productive class of leek--then we'll turn to trialling
types. (We do want to grow a lot, so we have opportunity.) Our plan for the coming year is to try both a short-growth type for harvest in the year of planting and a long-growth type for
overwintering.
The short-growth choice was almost a no-brainer: the type King Richard is carried by almost every seed house, including those in this region and with climates like
this region, and mentioned in almost every article on leeks and leek growing, far more so than any other short-growth type. We'll grow this as about a quarter of our leek crop.
For overwintering, the choice is, to put it genteely, much less obvious. There are kinds and there are kinds, and each has its advocates.
For an example of some of the problems: Oregon State University lists the type American Flag under "Main fall varieties (August through October)", the same category
in which they place the King Richard; yet most other sources list the American Flag as an overwintering type--go figure. One source lists the type Laura at 115 days; another has it at
180 days--go figure. Yet another resource says that the American Flag is the same leek as the Giant Musselburg (which it isn't).
Most overwintering leeks are quite strong in flavor, best suited for soups and stews. (The variety Durabel was said to be milder, but it seems no seedsman any longer carries it.)
After much reading, and head-scratching, we've decided two overwintering varieties to trial, and may the best leek win.
One type we wanted was the St. Victor a "selected strain" of the famous heirloom cultivar "Blue Solaise"; but this type--hard to find in the U.S. to begin with--has
now moved from "hard" to "impossible", so we fell back on using the original Blue Solaise itself (sometimes spelled Blue Solaize). The other type is
Prizetaker, also supposedly a "selected strain", in this case of the renowned "Lyon" cultivar. (Most English seed houses offer a lot more information on leeks than most
U.S. houses.) One source grew Blue Solaise in competition with another old standard, the Giant Musselburgh, and the Solaise trumped it on productivity; presumably a "selected strain"
will do at least as well. We'll split our winter-leel trials between those two types.
Planting
Timing
Leeks can be direct-seeded, but the most common approach is to grow them indoors as seedlings--up to a pretty good size--then transplant. Leeks grow best in a cool to moderate climate,
so sow seed in "early spring" (as the guides put it), then grow the seedlings for a good 8 to 10 weeks; you will need decent-sized containers for these, as one expects them to be of some
size before they're to be transplanted.
One wants to set one's leek transplants out as soon as daytime temperatures are at least 45° F.; here, that means--depending on how conservative one wants to be about cold
snaps--somewhere from the beginning to the end of March. But even if one takes that to mean April 1st (and we do), one still needs to be sowing no later than about early to middle
January--making that about the very first task of the gardening year. (And remember to calendar the start of hardening-off for about March 15th.)
Starting Seedlings
Sow your leek seed about ¼ inch deep; if you plant in a tray or pan, allow about ¼ inch between seeds. As soon as the seedlings emerge and are large enough to handle at
all, transplant them to pots or cells, recalling that we're going to want to grow them to a decent size before transplanting. Bigger transplants make for bigger leeks: sow a few extra
(to cull the smallest at planting-out time), and give them a rich medium and even some fertilization as they grow.
Some gardeners keep the tops of growing seedlings trimmed to about three inches long, in principle to make stockier and sturdy plants for transplanting; others warn sternly against the
practice. We see no harm in letting the plants do what they want to do: grow.
At the 8 to 10 week point, start hardening off the leek plants, taking a further week or two, then transplant (that will thus be at about 10-12 weeks from sowing). The informal gauge
for transplanting is always "when they're about as thick as a pencil"--by which time they might be anywhere from perhaps 8 inches tall to 18 inches tall. Take the biggest seedlings for
transplanting (that's why we seed a few extra).
The Bed
Leeks prefer a sunny position in light, well-drained soil, but will succeed in almost any ordinary garden soil, even including heavy clay; nonetheless, as they grow to some depth, well
and deeply spaded soil--typical of a raised or deep bed--is best, and, besides looseness, provides the aeration and drainage that they like. Moreover, they thrive on rich soil, so add in
lots of organic material when preparing the ground. A pH of 6.8 to 7.0 is best, though not crucial.
Transplanting Out
Space leek transplants at 6 inches in a deep or raised bed. One common method of transplanting is to dib (poke a hole in the soil with a tool called a dibber) to--recommendations vary
here--3 to 8 inches deep, then place the seedlings in the holes and not fill in the holes with soil--let soil get gradually washed in by rain or watering. Pour some water into
the dibbed hole before placing the leek into it, so you don't have to disturb the roots right away.
Some sources suggest that closer spacings can be used. Here's one good tip: Leek leaves consistently emerge opposite each other, directly above the previous leaf. That means
that if we set our transplants out taking care that the leaves of each are parallel ("like rungs on a ladder" as one source says), we will keep the leaves from growing into each other
while making the best use of available space, light, and air circulation--and possibly allow spacing closer than 6 inches, perhaps even down to 2 inches. (We wouldn't risk quite that
close a spacing, but 4 inches sounds good here if that advice is followed.)
(There is another not uncommon method of transplanting--trenching--in which one excavates a small trench then lays the transplants into it; use your own
judgement, but we like the dibbed-hole method.)
Here's an interesting account of some leek research:
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 244: IV International Symposium on Quality of Vegetables
YIELD AND QUALITY OF LEEK /ALLIUM PORUM/ AS AFFECTED BY METHOD OF GROWING
Authors: S. Kaniszewski, J. Rumpel, K. Elkner
Abstract:
In field experiments conducted from 1985-1987 the effects of four growing methods on the yield and quality of leeks grown from transplants was investigated. The growing methods
included: 1. traditional planting at a depth of 5 cm; 2. planting as above followed by hilling up of the plants with soil; 3. planting into 15 cm deep furrows, leveled during the
growing season, and 4. planting into 20 cm deep holes. In all treatments the cultivars "Alaska", "Darkal", "Jolant" and "Nebraska" were grown. Planting into 20 cm deep holes reduced
the yield compared to the other 3 treatments which gave similar yields. Hilling up, planting into furrows and into 20 cm deep holes increased the length and weight of the blanched part
of the leek shafts /stems/ compared to traditional planting at a depth of 5 cm. Laboratory work revealed that blanched shaft parts contained more dry matter and total sugars, and less
vitamin C, reducing sugars and nitrates than the green ones. Length and weight of the whole shaft and of its blanched part, as well as chemical composition, were also affected by the
cultivar.
(In round numbers, 5 cm. = 2" ; 15 cm. = 6" ; and 20 cm. = 8".) To us, that looks like a good argument for dibbing to a depth of 5 to 6 inches and hilling up during growth.
Growing
For the first 7 to 10 days after transplanting, keep the soil constantly moist, watering as frequently as required. One source says that after that period, the leeks can be left alone
and nothing but a prolonged drought can harm them--they will, from theron out, grow like weeds. Other sources say to water uniformly to maintain vigorous, uniform growth, and tender
stalks. In any event, lighter soils call for more frequent water applications, but with less water given per application, than heavy ones (and vice-versa).
It is a common practice to gradually hill up soil around the stalks as they grow; that forces the leaves ever higher up, leaving more of the desired stalk, and blanches the stalk (also
considered desireable). Be aware, however, that such blanching, though it makes the stalks slightly more tender, also causes a material reduction of minerals and vitamins in the end
product.
Leeks are notoriously tedious and difficult to clean in the kitchen. You can ease the problem by taking good care, when hilling up, not to place any soil above the point where the
leaves branch out from the stem. An because, as we have said, leeks are heavy feeders, work in a little exra fertilizer every time you hoe soil up.
Hardy leeks do not bulb or go dormant in the fall: they just continue growing, steadily if slowly. Harvest is, therefore, largely a matter of choice (of course, overwintering types
should not be harvested till well into the following spring). Leeks must, however, be harvested before they send up seed stalks or they will rapidly become unpalatable.
And though the emphasis is always on those nicely blanched stalks, do recall that the leaves make excellent (and nutritous) additions to soups and stews. "Summer leeks", like the King
Richard, can last till temperatures get down to 20°F. or so, which, out here, can happen as early as mid-October, but which normally don't come till well into December (the
King Richard type, like most summer leeks, matures about 11 weeks from transplanting--if set out on April 1st or thereabouts, it should be ready around mid-May).
John Seymour remarks that, while leeks are said to be subject to
all the pests and diseases to which onions are liable, he himself never heard of a leek's being harmed by anything except someone's pulling it out and eating it.
More
Relevant Links
Besides any links presented above on this page, the following ought to be especially helpful:
Odds and Ends
Biology
Leeks are members of the Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis) family, and are closely related to onions, chives, and garlic. Although grown as an annual or biennial, they are a true
perennial, perennating by means of small lateral growths and often developing a roundish bulb at the base of the main growth.
History
Leeks are common throughout Europe for as far back as we have records of food plants. The Romans called it porrum, a term retained in its present "scientific" name (our modern
word "leek" comes from the Anglo-Saxon leac), and believed that the very best leeks came from Egypt, where they had been known in earliest Biblical times: indeed, the Bible states
how, during the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness, they longed for the onions, leeks, and garlic they had had in Egypt. Nero is reported to have been nicknamed
Porrophagus (literally, "leek-eater") because of his inordinate appetite for leeks, which he apparently thought would improve his voice; Hippocrates prescribed leeks for curing
nosebleeds. The Romans were responsible for the spread of leeks throughout Europe and into the British Isles--Chaucer's storied pilgrims dined on leek soup. By 1775, leeks were being
grown in America, by the natives as well as the colonists.
Envoi
The leek is the beloved symbol of Wales; it was displayed as a national emblem as early as 1536, and Shakespeare, in Henry V, mentioned such displays as an ancient custom.
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