Leeks

These are easy to grow but need a slightly different transplant method from other veggies.

Work some organic fertilizer into the bed prior to planting. The leeks you buy from us may be in clusters in the cell pack but for best results you are going to want to plant each tiny leek plant into its own hole. For each plant you will be making a hole with a dibber or broom handle that is about 6” deep. This may seem like overkill but will give you the best results.

You will be setting each little transplant into the bottom of the hole and covering with soil only up to the first leaf. Yes the hole will look huge and empty but leave it unfilled as the rain and time will fill it up as the leek grows. Once your leek fills the hole you may even continue to mound more soil up around the stem to further blanch it.

When you harvest your leeks you will want to make sure you get all of the grit out from between the leaves by slicing the entire leek in half lengthwise and rinsing the layers under water.

I have had great success chopping my leeks up and freezing them on cookie trays and then transferring into ziplocks. This way I have a freezer full of ready to go leeks that I throw into soups, stews and stir fries all winter long. With leeks costing over $3 a small bunch this is well worth the effort.