Organic Leek Seeds  LeekAtlanta 60 Organic Leek Seeds £0.90
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- A frost tolerant variety
- Produces great tasting white stems of medium height
- Harvest through the winter
Sowing Instructions
Sow: from mid-March to late April, very thinly, about 5cm apart, and around 0.5cm deep, directly into well prepared soil. Leeks are not fussy and will happily grow in a wide range of soil types, although they will perform better in firm soil. Don’t be tempted to dig in some fresh manure as this would simply encourage too much leaf growth. Thin to 10cm apart once seedlings are established. Organic leek seeds can also be sown under glass in modular trays.
Transplant: Around mid-Summer, when young plants are about 20cm and the thickness of pencils. Water the plants well the day before transplanting. Using a dibber, make a hole around 15cm deep. Wiggle the dibber around until the hole is about 5cm in diameter at the surface of the soil. Gently lift the plant from its old position, trim the roots to around 2.5cm and snip off the tops of the leaves. Drop into the prepared hole and fill the hole with water. Don’t fill the hole with soil. Continue transplanting your young organic leeks, roughly 15-20cm apart.
Aftercare: Water well until established. Some gardeners ‘blanch’ their leeks so that a larger part of the vegetable is white, rather than green. To do this, earth up the soil around the stem with a hoe, to a depth of 5cm. This is by no means a necessary step – just a matter of choice. Longer leaves can be trimmed again in the early autumn, by about 5cm, if they are beginning to touch the soil.
Harvest: from December right through to April, or lift early for baby leeks.
Cooking Tips
Top and tail, slice or chop, making sure any trapped dirt is rinsed away, and add to soups and stews. Organic leeks can also be enjoyed steamed or gently braised in olive oil.
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