Normally we harvest our vegetables before the first fall frost, but the leek (Allium ampeloprasum porrum) is an exception to the rule. It doesn’t mind frost and in fact its flavor improves after a week or two of cold because frost causes the starches present in its stem and leaves to change into sugars. In fact, if you live in a climate with relatively mild winters (zone 7 or above), you can actually harvest “winter leeks” (extra hardy varieties) throughout the winter, as you need them, as if your vegetable garden was a large outdoor refrigerator.
Fall Leeks
In areas where the ground will be covered in snow for much of the winter, though, it’s not certain that you’ll be able to harvest leeks between December and March. After all, digging them out of the snow would be a hassle! But there’s still no hurry to rush out and harvest them as soon asthe leaves change color. Keep on picking them until late fall, as you need them. Traditionally the final leek harvest used to be at the end of November, timed to put fresh leeks on the tableatAmerican Thanksgiving, but if the ground doesn’t freeze hard until later than that where you live, you can push the harvest date well into December.
Or you can wait until the following spring, when the snow melts. In many areas of Europe, leeks are considered the first vegetable of spring, earlier even than asparagus, and there is no reason you can’t grow them that way in your garden as well. Just mulch your leeks thoroughly this fall (use 8 to 12 inches/20-30 cm of mulch, such asshredded fall leaves or pine needles) if you don’t have reliable snow cover in your area. The purpose of the mulch is to prevent frost heave: winter leeks may be very hardy, but the repeated action of freezing and thawing can seriously damage them. Mulch will moderate the soil’s temperature and help them through the cold months.
However, when spring does come, harvest your spring leeks before temperatures warm up. That’s because leeks are biennials and will therefore soon start to bloom. When they do, they become tough and unpalatable.
And there is also yet one more possibility: you can also grow winter leeks as perennial vegetables, much like you would grow rhubarb. These perennialized leeks are called perpetual leeks, because you can harvest them at any season. Perpetual leeks have largely fallen out of favor over the last century, but the recent interest in permaculture has brought an increased interest in perennial vegetables. I suspect perpetual leeks will certainly be gaining renewed interest once people realize how easy they are to grow.
Any winter leek can be perennialized. Just leave it in the ground over the winter, but don’t harvest anything that first spring. Instead let the plant bloom. It will produce a tall flower stalk coiffed with a large ball of pretty pale pink or white flowers (leeks are grown as ornamentals in some countries). Before the blooms start to fade, offsets will begin appear at the base of the parent plant. Just let them grow. The result is that your single leek plant will form a clump, and a clump that grows larger over time. Think of how a daylily grows and you’ll get the picture.
Don’t harvest at all this year (the second year after you originally sowed or plantedit). You’ll want the plant to multiply a bit first. The real harvest will begin in subsequent years, in year 3 and beyond, as the number of stems will increase massively. However, to keep your perennial leek going, make sure that when you do harvest, you always leave part of the clumpin the ground each year to ensure the success of the next generation.
Once perpetual leeksstart to produce, you can beginharvesting themat whatever season you choose, even in summer, but remember, they’ll be tastier when it’s frosty, therefore in fall, winter or spring.
Hardy Leeks for Cold Climates
There are many winter leek varieties and most are hardy enough to survive the winter in zone 4 under snow cover or a good mulch. All “winter leeks” can beallowed to perennialize. Here are a few you can try:
Leeks are nearly a year-round garden grower. Start leeks indoors in winter for planting out in very early spring for an early summer harvest. Set out leeks transplants in late summer for a fall and all-winter harvest.
If the soil is in need of organic matter, it is best to dig in well rotted garden compost. Choosing the site for sowing leeks may be influenced by the fact that they are generally left in the ground to be dug as required during the winter months, and can remain in the ground for a year or more.
Hardy leeks can remain in the ground through winter and into spring – just lift them whenever needed. Before cooking, slice leeks lengthways and hold under running water to wash out any soil from between the layers of leaves. Leeks have a sweet, mild onion flavour. Cook them gently, as they burn easily and turn bitter.
Biennial (a plant that requires two growing seasons to complete its life-cycle) but treated as an annual. Planting: Start seeds indoors for early spring transplants or later in the summer for a fall crop. Leeks are fairly hardy and can be planted several weeks prior to the last frost date.
Most leeks require a long growing season of about 120 to 150 days, and a minimum of eight hours of bright sunlight daily. Some newer cultivars require as few as 90 days to maturity, and these may be most suitable for Minnesota conditions. In northern climates, start seeds indoors in late February or March.
Make sure they're completely cool and dry before moving on. Spread your leeks into a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze for an hour. Transfer them to a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, seal, and store in the freezer. Use directly from frozen or thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
Trim and halve leeks.Clean thoroughly, then slice into half moons of desired size.Spread on a sheet pan and place in freezer until completely frozen. Transfer to a Freezer Zipper bag or FreezerWare™ container.
Leeks can remain in the ground as long as it is not frozen. Leeks do not go dormant in the fall but continue to grow slowly, so harvest time can be very flexible. Dig leeks any time after they are an inch or more in diameter, but leave them in the ground until you're ready to use them.
To freeze: Leeks can be frozen! Simply slice and freeze them on a tray, before popping into a sealed container. To defrost: When you take food or drink out of the freezer, it's important to defrost it safely. Don't defrost at room temperature.
Leeks grow best in temperatures between 55° and 75°F (13-24°C). Growth will be slowed by hot weather. Begin sowing leek seeds in the garden no later than mid-spring. Leek seeds germinate in soil that is 65°F, but the optimal germination temperature is between 70° and 75°F.
Over time, you'll get bigger clumps and bigger harvests. The first year, I suggest you sow twice as many leeks as you need. That way you harvest half the traditional way, that is to say, in the fall, and leave others alone so that they perennialize and become the source of your future annual harvest.
Perennial leeks get their “perennial-ness” by constantly offshoots at their base. The offshoots can be plucked away and planted once they are sturdy enough. They will then become big leeks and start producing little offshoots of their own. You don't have to restrict perennial leeks to a vegetable plot either.
They grow well in raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens. Space leeks 6 inches apart in an area that gets 6 or more hours of sun daily and has nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. Improve native soil by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter.
Leeks are easy to grow. They require little to no attention and are generally pest-free. In the kitchen, they can be substituted for onions and, unlike onions, can be chopped and frozen for use in the winter after you run out of your own onions.
Allium tricoccum (commonly known as ramp, ramps, ramson, wild leek, wood leek, or wild garlic) is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is a North American species of wild onion or garlic widespread across eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
As a general rule, leeks can be left in the ground over autumn and winter until you're ready to eat them. However, if they are threatening to flower, think again…. once a leek bolts, the inner flesh becomes very tough and virtually inedible.
Even when wild leeks appear abundant, carpeting the floor of the forest floor they can be at risk. Often the loss of wild leeks appears abrupt. Their life cycle is roughly seven years, from when a seed sprouts to when the plant can produce its own seed.
Start by putting about 6-8inches of quite damp sand in the bottom of a large plastic bucket. Next, without getting the leaves of the leeks too wet, partially bury them into the sand. Stored this way the leeks will last for 2-3 months.
White rot is a serious disease of plants of the allium family, especially bulb onions, garlic and leeks, caused by the soil-borne fungus Stromatinia cepivora (syn.Sclerotium cepivorum), which can persist in the soil for many years. Look for symptoms from mid-summer until early autumn.
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