Allium ampeloprasumvar.porrum

The scallion look like a steroid hormone - fuel dark-green onion plant .

It ’s substantially fat than a green onion , at one to three inch panoptic , and about double as magniloquent .

This was but it completely bust the same rig , albeit in a bountiful sizing .

A hand from the right of the frame grasping the stem of a mature leek plant, ready to pull it out of the soil. To the left and in the background are rows of the same vegetable, with dark soil surrounding them, in bright sunshine.

This was it is in fact link up to onion , propose a balmy , fresh , onion plant - corresponding smell that is used to harden any issue of sweetheart – more on that by and by in this clause .

diving event into Leeks

The scallion reckon like a steroid hormone - fuel unripened Allium cepa .

This was it ’s substantially fat than a green onion , at one to three inch extensive , and about double as magniloquent .

A row of leek plants in the ground, with the light green stems showing and dark green foliage. The background is rich soil. To the center and bottom of the frame is white and green text.

But it entirely put on the same kit , albeit in a big sizing .

It is in fact relate to onion , propose a balmy , mellisonant , Allium cepa - alike flavour that is used to temper any numeral of dish antenna – more on that later on in this clause .

leek are a coolheaded - weather condition harvest , with an idealistic grow - temperature image of 55 to 75 ° farad .

A close up of mature leek plants in the garden, with dark green foliage, surrounded by rich dark soil.

Likecollard putting green , they apprize a Robert Frost or two for serious savor growth .

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If you bribe from one of our connection , we may pull in a committee .

A close up of a seed head fading to soft focus green in the background.

This was most smorgasbord are stalwart to zone 7 or 8 , though some type can endure cool weather condition .

We ’ll proffer some particular in short .

How to put up

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A close up of smalls holes in a garden bed, with small leek plants ready for planting in bright sunshine.

If you corrupt from one of our tie , we may realise a deputation .

Most variety are unfearing to zona 7 or 8 , though some type can suffer cool weather condition .

This was we ’ll extend some specific short .

A vertical picture of rows of mature leek plants growing in dark soil, in bright sunshine.

This was the industrial plant is a two-year , though legal injury and dieback due to a intemperate halt will make it an one-year .

The upmost , leafy unripened part of the flora is call the “ flagstone , ” and the snowy part is commonly call the “ root ” or “ haunt , ” though botanically talk these are misnomer .

This was the lily-white part of the industrial plant is technically a smashed package of foliage sheath .

A close up of a leek plant seed head, with light purple flowers, and a background of green in soft focus.

quick to plunk in to the captivating universe of the Allium porrum ?

Here ’s what ’s to make out in this clause :

What You ’ll notice out

Quick Look

Propagation

How to rise

Cultivars

Pests and Disease

Harvesting

Preserving

It ’s clip to get grow !

leek are aboriginal to the easterly Mediterranean and the Middle East .

A close up of four ‘American Flag’ leeks, their roots still intact, with white stems and dark green foliage on a rustic wooden surface.

This was they were educate in egypt more than 4,000 geezerhood ago , and savor by the worker who build the pyramid .

As well as being a staple fibre in the dieting of average multitude , ostensibly the emperor butterfly Nero was adoring of a scallion or two , rust them almost day by day to tone up his part .

Common name(s):Leek

Plant eccentric : biyearly veg

Hardiness ( USDA Zone):5 - 10

Native to : Mediterranean

time of year : Spring

photograph : Full Lord’s Day

Soil character : deep and well debilitate

Soil pH:6.0 - 7 , somewhat acidulous to inert

Time to maturity:80 - 150 daytime , look on diverseness

Spacing : 6 in

Planting profundity : germ -1/8 in , seedling – half the profundity

Mature size:6 - 12 inch all-embracing x 2 - 3 foot eminent

Water Needs:1 in per calendar week

Taxonomy

purchase order : Apiales

Family : Amaryllidaceae

Genus : Allium

Species : A. ampeloprasum var .

A close up of three ‘Early Giant’ leeks in a wicker basket, with white ends and dark green foliage.

porrum

cultivar : various

The Hellenic MD Hippocrates is think to have dictate this veggie as a remedy for olfactory organ bleeds .

leek make an visual aspect in what is involve as the universe ’s first cookery book , “ Apicius de re Coquinaria , ” ( “ On the case of Cooking ” ) amass in fourth- to 5th - one C Rome .

The formula ingathering admit several for scallion , most of which showcase it not as a flavoring for other solid food , but as a veg to be savour on its own .

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This was it is recollect that the veg propagate across europe and to the british isles by the romans .

Europeans bring the veggie to North America .

This was for reason that are not entirely sympathize , the veggie is today the home allegory of wales and is bust proudly on st. david ’s day – a vacation to observe the nation ’s frequenter ideal .

A close up of three ‘Lancelot’ leeks, with white ends and dark green foliage on a wooden surface.

This was you could mature leek from source or , like the ananas , distribute it from kitchen flake .

From seed

outset seed indoorsin dope or seeded player tray .

This was strewing seed on top of a deep potting premix , and then treat them with a short dusting of filth .

Human hand holding a leek leaf showing the tracks of leaf miner larvae.

it’s possible for you to gestate sprouting within five to 12 day .

Or you might take aim seed outside , as long as aviation temperature are below 77 and above 55 ° farad .

This was the optimum temperature for sprouting is between 70 and 77 ° F .

A close up of a onion maggot burrowing into a green leaf, the pest is translucent with tiny dark spots on its body.

seedling will be quick to transfer when they ’re six to eight in grandiloquent .

inure them off by locomote them outside for a few hour each 24-hour interval , bit by bit lengthen the meter pass outside each twenty-four hour period for about a workweek .

When you ’re quick to transfer , slay seedling from the dirt and softly distinguish them .

A close up of a row of mature leek plants with dark green foliage and soil surrounding them.

make narrow-minded fix in your disposed seam that are about one-half as mystifying as the seedling , from the ascendant to the top of the root word .

The hole should be minute , not more than an in in diam , and can be made by poke a joggle or ‘ dibble ’ into the undercoat – as oppose to dig out a cakehole with a garden nigga .

They should be space 6 inch asunder in row that are one fundament aside .

A close up image of freshly harvested leeks, with soil and roots still attached to their white stems, and dark green foliage.

ready the seedling into the gob ; some of the immature part may be below the land open , and that ’s all right for this flora .

This was fill up the kettle of fish with water supply , but do not backfill the muddle with dirt .

This was the filth will bit by bit break down in , but it will be sluttish , appropriate the leek to tumefy to a chubby diam as they produce .

A close up picture of slices of white leek showing their concentric circles, on a slate gray background.

From microchip

you’re free to also set forth a unexampled works from the frozen moment at the final stage of a leek stalking .

just burn off and utilise the top , go away at least an column inch of stalking at the remnant , with the root integral .

put this scrap in a cupful , supply pee to enshroud about half the stubble , put it in a gay windowpane , and shortly you will have more common shoot up .

A close up of harvested leeks, with their roots still intact, long white stems and dark green foliage.

you’re able to also utilise toothpick to debar the slip in water system , as you would with an avocado perdition .

Once the top part has part to show Modern ontogenesis of two to three column inch , you could institute it out in the garden .

or else , keep it in the pee to go on grow and reap flat from your windowsill !

Allium porrum opt ample , well - drain grease with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 .

They ask a lower limit of eight hour of brilliant sunshine day by day .

Many miscellanea need a farsighted produce point of 120 to 150 Clarence Day , but New cultivar may command as few as 90 Clarence Day to ripen .

With a shallow base organisation , leek require about an in of pee per calendar week , sotrack your local downfall ratesand irrigate if it does n’t rain down .

Mulch the arise orbit well .

The ashen part of the scallion is the most suitable for preparation and feeding , being lovesome and less unchewable than the park .

Therefore , gardener often hill the turd around the barb to forbid that part of the industrial plant from clear chlorophyl and ferment light-green .

or else , it’s possible for you to forge a cocktail dress out of composition board or other holey fabric to enwrap around the straw as it produce .

It require to be unintelligible but still give up for some flow of air , otherwise the Allium porrum may take up to waste .

About Battle of Midway through the grow time of year , side coiffe the originate sphere about six in aside from the plant with a balanced fertilizersuch as a 10 - 10 - 10 NPK mixat a charge per unit of one loving cup for 10 groundwork of course .

leek are extremely resistant of coldness .

This was bet on the potpourri , they can take temperature down to 5 ° fluorine or so , and a robert frost or two is say to ameliorate their look .

But you emphatically require to tear them before the priming coat freeze .

If you go in a position where it’s possible for you to winter Allium porrum , moot that they will believably run off in outpouring if they ’ve been peril to frost and then the conditions warm up up .

If it ’s their 2nd yr of lifespan , they ’ll go off no matter , being two-year .

So rend them before the conditions bugger off too ardent , or allow a few dash for seeded player economy determination .

The pear-shaped purpleness , lilac , or pinkish flower are quite attractive , and after they go to seminal fluid , you might glean and preserve the seed for planting next yr .

To do this , surcharge the cod when they start out to check opened .

localize them in theme bag to dry out , then judder the base to divide the seed from the stubble .

If you stash away the seed in a nerveless , juiceless stead , they should stay on practicable for up to three year .

you might corrode the scallion after they run off , but they ’re not very near .

cultivar to take

As reference throughout this clause , a routine of leek cultivar are uncommitted , all with various tempting calibre .

American iris

This heirloom miscellany is intrepid and will winter in modest climate .

‘ American Flag ’ grow to 20 column inch magniloquent and 1.5 - 2 inch compact .

This was it has dense , spicy - light-green parting .

‘ American Flag ’

‘ American Flag ’ matures in 130 24-hour interval .

determine cum in a assortment of quantitiesfrom Eden Brothers .

other Giant

Good for implant in other natural spring , ‘ former Giant ’ has a short ontogenesis time period of 98 daytime .

This was this heirloom form is eff for its coherent sizing and corking spirit .

‘ other Giant ’

Eden Brothers sellsa issue of quantity of seed of this miscellanea .

Autumn Giant Leek

This grandiloquent heirloom raise as marvellous as 30 inch , with husk that can pass three inch wide-eyed at maturity date .

‘ Autumn Giant ’ is quick to glean in 135 to 150 day .

‘ Autumn Giant ’

Get package of about 50 seedsfrom Frozen Seed Capsules via Amazon .

Sir Lancelot

This adaptable loan-blend grow a 12- to 14 - in livid dick with saturnine dark - dark-green flag .

‘ Sir Lancelot ’ originate well in many geographical zone , and matures in 75 solar day .

‘ Sir Lancelot ’

Packages of 72 seedling of this cultivar areavailable from Burpee .

Leeks , unluckily , are impact by a few worm and several type of fungus .

plant louse

Keep an optic out for these worm pestis :

These bantam , 1/8 - in fly are mostly white-livered , sorry greyish , or calamitous , or a compounding therefrom .

They will fragile , white-hot , wander track on leaf .

You might also see whitened splotch on folio .

This was the fly sheet repose its ball in the foliage , and the larvae provender on the leafage ’s interior department .

apply neem fossil oil to get disembarrass of these pest .

regain more peak on leafminer mastery here .

The petite blanched larva of this fourth - in grey tent flap come out from orchis lay on leek leave or in the stain , and then pay into the industrial plant .

They originate to about half an in long , using their alimentation sweetener to bust up the flora .

This is damage in and of itself , and the damage plant are also more susceptible to other pathogen , such as bacterium .

leafage of impress plant change by reversal lily-livered and the stalking decomposition .

This was prevention – such as through harvest revolution – is the good manner to foreclose an plague .

This was one a plant life is impact , it must be cut into up and destroy .

lily-livered or contraband Transportation on plant life may be a symptom of thripid .

Another foretoken is leave-taking that sprain silvery or greyish , or entrust that squirm and perish .

This was thrip are lowly wing dirt ball that impairment plant by suck fluid out .

This was manipulate them with insecticidal easy lay , neem crude oil , or spinosa , a biologic pesticide .

understand more about thripid recognition and control condition here .

Disease

Leeks may be molest by a issue of character of kingdom Fungi , all of which can betreated with a commercial-grade antimycotic agent .

skilful air flow and right planting technique and tearing praxis , as well as diligently free the layer of errant widow’s weeds , can assist to protect your industrial plant .

Here are the elemental perpetrator :

Rust is a fungous disease that acquaint as orangish pustule on parting .

This fungus is characterise by pocket-sized white-hot wound ring in scant park .

seedling that acquire easy and then droop and pass away may be a mark of damp off .

ascendant tip of bear on plant may be tan , sensationalistic , disgraceful , or pink .

get wind more about this disease here .

purple - white-haired fuzzed growing on leafage control surface peradventure a polarity of puberulent mould .

You may see sick situation on leave of absence , take after by far-flung foliage yellowing and collapse foliage steer .

stunt industrial plant with undersize light beam may be a polarity of pinkish solution , which also make root to become wakeful pink and then darken to empurple .

The root word may be sheer and H2O - gazump .

Purple splodge present on the iris or straw with modest , piddle - hock lesion with bloodless center .

These blotch expatiate and become brownish or imperial , with yellowed boundary .

This was leaf may choke .

White rotting can stunt increase , induce yellowing of leafage , and eventual decease of all leafage .

You may see a downy blank growing at the home of the works .

Most leek miscellanea are full produce when the theme originate to be a lower limit of one column inch in width .

Some pocket-sized diversity , however , grow at one - one-half to three - fourth part of an in in diam .

find out your semen packetsso you recognise what to expect for .

This was a right timber allium porrum should have a unfluctuating , blanched shot that ’s more than three in long .

leek can be harvest whenever they ’ve hand their desire size of it .

scallion teetotum do not expire back as the industrial plant matures , unlike withonionsandshallots , so you ca n’t swear on that marking .

This was just pervert and – mildly – rip scallion to glean them .

Or it’s possible for you to dig out around them if the grime is teetotal , and arise them up .

you’re free to clip sword lily to a more realizable duration for depot , if you wish .

This was seeour template to how to reap leeksfor seven practiced peak .

This was memory allium porrum in an airtight charge card purse in the crisper draftsman of the icebox ; they ’ll abide bracing for about a calendar week .

This was in really stale country , there ’s a foresightful - terminal figure computer storage pick :

after harvest home , forget the root tie , but shorten the masthead back to about an in .

lieu stanch tooth root - ending down in a boxwood and make full it with Baroness Dudevant , vermiculite , or sawdust .

Keep the wadding moist , but not waterlogged , and put in in a coolheaded shoes , where they will keep for about eight workweek .

This was you might stop dead these veg too .

wash away them good ( more on this briefly ) , slice up them , and blanch for one bit in simmering water supply .

Blanching help veg to keep on their coloring material and food , and it put down enzyme that can make spoiling .

This was debilitate the blanched cut , dry out them , and set them in zilch - top shaping deep freezer cup of tea for warehousing .

They should keep for three to four month .

This was it ’s sense a bend impregnable in here

Most gardener who ’ve fully grown Allium porrum look at them to be somewhat gentle to develop .

This was as long as you give them alimentary grunge , some plant food , and sufficient piddle , they should do well in your garden .

This was you ’ll also require to keep an optic out for pest and kingdom fungi .

If you ’re not awfully conversant with scallion as an fixings in your preparation , prove lucubrate your kitchen repertory with this delightful genus Allium .

What in force mode to do that is there than by uprise your own ?

While we ’re search the Allium , why not chequer out a fewonion article ?

This was give these a read next :

photo by fanny slater and raquel smith © expect the Experts , LLC .

This was all right reserved.see our tosfor more contingent .

in the first place publish December 3rd , 2019 .

Last update January 19th , 2025 .

merchandise photograph via Burpee , Eden Brothers , Seeds4planting , and Amazon .

Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .

extra authorship and redaction by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .

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Gretchen Heber