Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Leeks need a long season — start seeds indoors 10–12 weeks before last frost in modules or a seed tray, transplanting pencil-thin seedlings when soil is workable. Dig planting trenches 15cm deep, 30cm wide, spacing seedlings 15cm apart. Drop each seedling into a dibber hole 15cm deep and do not fill — simply water in. As plants grow, gradually backfill the trench with loose soil to blanch the lower stems white and sweet. Leeks thrive in deep, fertile, well-drained loam with pH 6.0–7.0. Incorporate well-rotted manure before planting. Feed with a high-nitrogen fertilizer monthly during the growing season. Water deeply but infrequently — 2.5cm per week. They are extremely frost-hardy and can be left in the ground through winter in most temperate climates, harvested as needed.