Leeks: growing, harvesting, storage and beneficial properties

Leeks are also called pearl onions. This variety attracts with its special taste and beneficial properties. Growing a crop is not difficult if you create all the necessary conditions for this, including proper care of the plantings.

Leeks are also called pearl onions

The flexible stem of an onion is used for food.

The leek is missing a bulb

Characteristics of the variety

Leeks are a biennial plant. In the first year, the stem with leaves develops, and in the second year, flowering occurs with the formation of an arrow. Its height can reach one and a half meters. When the arrow forms, the stem becomes unsuitable for use as food, so leeks are usually cultivated in gardens as an annual crop.

Leeks became widespread only a few decades ago, although they were known in Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. The Romans considered it the food of the rich.

There are several varieties of leeks. All of them can be divided into three groups depending on the length of the growing season. Early varieties ripen in approximately 130-150 days, medium varieties in 150-170 days, late varieties in 180-200 days. It turns out that the maturation of a culture can take six months or even more.

A distinctive feature of leeks is the absence of a bulb - instead there is a white stalk, for the color of which the culture began to be called pearl onions. This stalk is a thickened false stem. The flexible stem of the plant with long leaves is used for food.

The characteristics of leeks depend on the specific variety:

• leg height – 12-45 cm, diameter – 3-8 cm;
• leaves resemble garlic, but longer and wider;
• the leaves have a dark green color and a light waxy coating;
• the average leaf height is 90 cm, can reach a meter or more;
• average plant weight – 0.2-0.3 kg;
• in the first year, at least 12 leaves are formed;
• flowering occurs in July-September, seed collection begins in mid-October - their germination lasts up to 3 years;
• The stalk of young leaves has a pleasant, slightly pungent taste, which is subtler than that of the onion, a related crop.

The attractiveness of growing leeks lies not only in their taste, but also in their beneficial properties. It is useful to eat it for joint pathologies, anemia, high cholesterol levels, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and pulmonary pathologies. Leeks also help with poor vision, intestinal and prostate tumors.

Frost resistance of leek

Well-rooted plants of mid-season (Cazimir, Consumer, Elephant) and late (Alligator, Bandit, Autumn Giant) varieties with a rich vegetative mass are able to tolerate temperatures of -4...-6°C.

Frost-resistant varieties (for example, late-ripening Karantansky) can withstand down to -15°C and overwinter in the ground. But without sufficient snow cover in the middle zone, as well as in severe frosts, even this onion will die.

There are agricultural techniques that will help the crop to overwinter in the garden.

How to prepare leeks for wintering:

1. Hill up the plant stems 8-10 cm with garden soil or peat.
2. In areas with cold climates, mulch, cover with spruce branches or other material that retains snow cover.
3. Cover with snow as soon as it falls. This is especially true during harsh winters. 1 cm of snow cover protects against 1°C frost.
4. Install arcs over the bed and cover them on top with non-woven material. In winter, throw snow inside this “winter greenhouse”.

Optimal growing conditions, soil requirements

When growing leeks, it is necessary to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region. In northern latitudes, one should limit oneself to early varieties of the crop, but in the south, late varieties of the plant can also be grown.

At the initial stage of development, leeks need long daylight hours and intense lighting, so it is necessary to choose well-lit areas for planting where there is sun all day long.

It is important to remember the rules of crop rotation. Leeks are good to plant after pumpkin, legumes, winter crops, potatoes or other nightshades. A minimum of 3 years should pass between planting onions, including leeks, in one area.

For seed germination, a temperature of 2-5 degrees is required. The speed of the process depends on the temperature; at a temperature of 20 degrees it increases significantly. Foliage grows and develops well at 15-20 degrees.

Leeks prefer neutral soil. If it is acidic, then they resort to lime or dolomite. The selected substance must be applied in the fall. If the soil is alkaline, then adding peat is required.

Chernozem, light sandy loam or loamy soil is better suited for leeks. It must be quite fertile. To improve this characteristic, you can use compost or rotted manure. Per square meter it is required to add 7 kg of such organic matter. You can also apply manure in the spring, then its amount per square meter should be reduced to 2-3 kg.

In the spring, in addition to manure, other fertilizers must be applied. Per square meter required:

• ammonium nitrate – 15 g;
• potassium salt – 15 g;
• superphosphate – 35 g.

Growing seedlings

Soil preparation

Growing leek seedlings is possible both in purchased soil and in your own prepared soil mixture. If the first option is chosen, then it is better to buy soil specifically for onions, although this crop also feels great in soil for peppers and eggplants. If a self-composed soil mixture is a priority, then you should remember that leeks do not like heavy, acidic soil.

The best option would be the composition:

• Turf land 40%.
• Peat 30%.
• River sand 30%.

Wood ash, sawdust, and eggshells are used as additives. Self-prepared soil mixture is disinfected by calcination in the oven or by watering with a warm solution of manganese. To increase the nutritional value of the soil, superphosphate, urea or compost are added to it.

Preparing containers

When choosing containers for sowing leek seeds for seedlings, there are no special restrictions. It is preferable to plant them in separate containers, or even better, in peat pots or tablets without subsequent picking.

The height of the sides of containers for seedlings is at least 15 cm. To save space, you can use special cassettes instead of boxes. Before sowing seeds, containers made of plastic and wood are disinfected with a manganese solution.

Sowing leeks for seedlings can be done in a “snail”. For it you will need a 10-15 cm wide laminate flooring, a tray, and a thick elastic band.

Seed preparation

1. A week before the planned sowing, it is necessary to treat the seeds. First, they are calibrated and seeds with damaged outer shells are rejected. Seeds 2-3 years old are optimal for sowing.
2. To speed up seed germination, alternate soaking in warm and cold water. First, the selected seeds are placed in water heated to 40-45°C for 20 minutes, then in water at room temperature for the same time. This will wash off the oil coating.
3. The next stage is germinating the seeds in damp gauze. It takes 3-5 days. An alternative preparation method is to soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. For disinfection, a standard scheme is used using a 1% manganese solution or treatment with Fitosporin.

Sowing

1. If the seeds are sown in individual containers, then 2-4 seeds are placed in each cup.
2. If boxes are used for growing, then first grooves are made in the ground, into which one seed is placed every 4-5 cm.
3. Seed planting depth is 1-1.5 cm.
4. If leek seedlings are grown in a “snail”, then the seeds are laid out every 5 cm, retreating 3 cm from the edge.
5. At the time of planting, the soil should be moist, but not wet.
6. The seeds placed in the ground are sprinkled with a layer of soil no more than 5 mm.
7. The containers are covered with film until shoots appear.

The air temperature in the room where leek seedlings are grown should be +21...+25°C. After the seeds germinate, the film is removed, the temperature is reduced to +18...+20 degrees during the day and to +10...+14 degrees at night.

Seedling care

Leek seedlings are grown on southern windows.

1. The optimal lighting mode is 10-12 hours a day. If necessary, the seedlings are illuminated with fluorescent lamps.
2. You cannot place containers with seedlings on a cold base so that the developing roots do not freeze.
3. Watering - as the top layer of soil dries. Overfilling should not be allowed so as not to cause the development of fungus.
4. Water by drip or from a syringe at the root.
5. When the crops are dense, thinning with a minimum distance between seedlings of 2 cm is recommended. The first thinning is no earlier than a month after sowing the seeds.
6. If the seedlings stretch upward, they are cut, leaving feathers 10 cm long. “Cutting” stimulates the plant to grow roots and thicken the stem.

Feeding

During the seedling period, leeks are fed twice, although some fertilize every 2 weeks. The first time this is done 2 weeks after emergence. Use Nitroammofoska or ready-made compositions such as Kemira-universal.

The second time it is advisable to feed the seedlings 2 weeks before transplanting to a permanent place. In this case, either Nitroammofoska or Azofoska is also used.

The best fertilizer for pearl onions is considered to be an infusion of chicken manure (0.5 kg per 10 liters of water). It is used to water plants at the roots, avoiding contact with young seedlings.

Transplantation into the ground

The optimal age of leek seedlings for transplanting into the ground is 60-70 days. The main sign is that the plants should have 3-4 true leaves.

10 days before plant transplantation, seedlings begin to harden. To do this, the boxes (cups) with seedlings are taken out into the air and left there for 2-3 hours. The temperature should be above zero, approximately +15…+18 degrees. Gradually increase the time until the seedlings stand in the air all night.

1-2 days before transplanting, the plants are watered abundantly. This will make it easy to remove the seedlings without disturbing their root system.

Young onions are planted in grooves 15-20 cm deep. The distance between them is at least 40 cm. The distance between plants is 15-20 cm. Before planting, the roots are cut by a third. It is also necessary to trim the greens, leaving leaves 7-10 cm long.

You need to pour wood ash into the bottom of the groove, place the seedlings there, sprinkle them with 2-3 cm of humus and fill the groove halfway with soil. The voids in the form of a trench will become a natural protection from the wind.

After transplanting, the grooves are watered, trying not to wash away the fresh soil, and protected from precipitation for several days, especially if the weather is cool outside.

Planting leeks

Leeks can be planted in open ground as seeds or seedlings. The second method is usually chosen, although it is more labor-intensive.

Seeds

This option is suitable only for the southern regions, since the growing season of the crop is very long. Leeks should be planted with seeds when the threat of frost has passed, since they are destructive for seedlings.

The optimal planting period for the southern regions is March-April. The weather conditions of a particular area should be taken into account, as well as the characteristics of the selected variety. If you use a greenhouse or greenhouse, then you should start planting in mid-April. When planting in a bed under film, it is better to wait until the end of the month.

Planting leeks with seeds involves the following steps:

1. Preparation of planting material . It is necessary to immerse the seeds for a few seconds in water heated to 45 degrees, and then immediately into cold water. Afterwards, the planting material should be kept in damp gauze for several days, periodically moistening it. Choose a warm place - the temperature should be kept at 25 degrees. After a few days, the seeds should germinate.
2. Soil preparation . If all the work is carried out properly in the fall, then all that remains is to loosen the prepared area and level it.
3. Formation of grooves . You need to leave 65 cm between the rows. The sowing depth is based on the characteristics of the soil: in light soil, bury the seeds by 2.5 cm, in heavier soil - by 1.5 cm. You need to sow 1 g of seeds per square meter.
4. Thin out the beds . Thinning is carried out in two stages - first when 1-2 leaves appear, then when 3-4 leaves appear. After the second thinning, there should be 10-15 cm between neighboring plants.

Leeks can be grown from seeds in open ground as a biennial crop. In this case, planting takes place at the end of June. In October, plants need to be earthed up and covered for the winter. Another option is to plant the crop in October. This allows you to get seedlings in the spring. Both options are only suitable for southern regions.

Seedlings

This is the method that should be used for midland regions. It is also suitable for the south if you want to get the harvest as early as possible. When grown in open ground, seeds are planted for seedlings from mid-February. The process is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Preparation of planting material . The seeds are dipped into hot water (up to 45 degrees) for a few seconds, then into cold water. Then they are left in damp gauze and a warm place for germination. The temperature should be 25 degrees, the material should be periodically moistened.
2. Preparing containers for seedlings . You can use pots, boxes, containers, cassettes. Fill the selected containers with soil - you can make a mixture yourself or buy ready-made soil suitable for a given crop. In the first case, you need to take turf, compost soil and humus. A peat base can also be used, to which additives should be added - dolomite flour, potassium sulfate, double superphosphate, urea.
3. Formation of furrows for seeds . There should be a distance of 4-5 cm between them. The seeds need to be buried 1-1.5 cm.
4. Sowing seeds . The soil in the prepared containers should be moist. The seeds need to be sprinkled with soil.
5. Germination of seeds . Until the sprouts appear, containers with planted seeds should be kept covered with film. Be sure to adhere to a temperature of 23-24 degrees. The place where the containers are located should be well lit.
6. Reduced temperature . This should be done after the first shoots appear. First you need to get rid of the film - the seedlings no longer need shelter. The optimal temperature during the day is 15-17 degrees, at night – 10-12 degrees. You need to adhere to these indicators for a week.
7. Increase in temperature . Daytime temperature should be 17-21 degrees, night temperature – 12-14 degrees. You need to adhere to the new values ​​before planting seedlings in the ground.
8. Thinning . The work must be carried out a month after planting. There should be 2-3 cm between adjacent plants.
9. Picking . At this stage, the seedlings are transplanted into pots or glasses. The diameter of the containers should be no more than 4 cm. This step is optional. Some gardeners exclude it, due to poor transfer of transplants and slowdown in development against this background. Picking is not necessary when planting seeds in peat tablets or pots.
10. Shortening of leaves . Usually this stage is combined with picking. The length needs to be shortened by a third. Opinions differ regarding the need to shorten the leaves. Some experts believe that such a measure is only necessary if the roots are damaged and planted in summer. In the second case, the leaves are shortened to reduce the area of ​​moisture evaporation.

Leek seedlings should be fed once every 2 weeks. It is effective to use compost tea for this. The crop requires 10-12 hours of daylight, so additional lighting should be used for seedlings.

Growing leek seedlings in total takes about 1.5 months. The readiness of planting in the ground is judged by the appearance of 3-4 true leaves. The diameter of the stem should by this time reach 0.8 cm, and the length of the leaves should be 15-17 cm.

The area for planting leek seedlings should be prepared in the fall. In the spring, digging is not required; it is enough to loosen the soil and level the beds. You must act according to the following algorithm:

1. Make furrows-grooves, deepening them to 15 cm.
2. Sprinkle the bottom with ash, then water it generously.
3. Cut the roots to a third of their length and treat them with a mixture of clay and cow dung - mix them equally.
4. Place the seedlings in the prepared furrows and sprinkle. It is necessary to fill the grooves only halfway with earth - the resulting trench will serve as good protection from the wind.
5. Water the garden bed. The grooves have already been watered, so do not use a lot of liquid.
6. Make a shelter. It is required if the weather is still cool. Any covering material can be used.

There are two options for planting leek seedlings - two-row and multi-row. In the first case, 15-20 cm should be left between seedlings, and 30-35 cm between rows. When planting in multiple rows, 10-15 cm should be left between neighboring plants, and 25 cm between rows.

The distance between the rows can be increased to plant another crop. It can be onions, carrots, beets, cabbage, celery, garden strawberries - such a neighborhood is acceptable.

The growing season for leeks is long, so after planting in the ground, it takes 2-3 months for the stalk to increase in diameter.

Landing

It is convenient to sow leek seeds on snow with a layer thickness of two centimeters. Firstly, small seeds are very clearly visible on the snow and can be easily distributed using a toothpick. Secondly, melting snow moistens the soil.

If there is no snow, you can sow on well-moistened soil, keeping a distance of 2 centimeters between seeds and 4 centimeters between furrows. The top of the crops is sprinkled with up to one and a half centimeters of soil and moistened well with a sprayer. Cover with glass or polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. The containers are transferred to a warm place, providing them with an ambient air temperature of +22-+24 °C. Once every three days, remove the glass and moisten the soil with the crops using a spray bottle.

Caring for a plant in open ground

The success of growing a crop, that is, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the crop, largely depends on proper care. It must be comprehensive.

Watering

Leeks need regular watering. The crop should be watered abundantly, but not excessively. Use warm water. After transplanting into open ground, watering is not carried out for the first 3 days, then it should be done every 5 days.

During hot dry periods, the frequency of watering should be increased. An average of 12 liters of water is required per square meter of planting.

Top dressing

Feeding is not a prerequisite for growing leeks, but for a rich harvest it should not be ignored. In addition to spring soil preparation, fertilizers are applied 2-3 more times per season. They resort to organic and mineral fertilizers, which are effectively alternated.

The first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after planting in open ground. It is effective to use cow manure or bird droppings. In the first case, you need to take 8 parts of water for one part of fertilizer, in the second - 20 parts.

Weeding and loosening

It is imperative to get rid of weeds. This should be done manually, since chemical methods of weed control are not useful and affect the environmental purity of the product.

Loosening is important for crop development because it provides soil aeration. The plant receives enough oxygen and moisture. Loosening should be carried out once every 1-2 weeks. It is better to do this after watering.

In addition to loosening, hilling is also required. When planting seedlings in the ground, half of the trenches were not filled with soil, so they need to be filled gradually. Such work should be carried out when the culture begins to grow.

Pest and disease control

When growing leeks, like any other crops, it is important to regularly inspect the plantings for diseases and pests. The following problems are possible:

• Onion fly . The main pest that appears from mid-May. The fly lays eggs on leaves and in the soil, and the larvae that emerge from them eat the central part of the plant, causing it to wither and rot. Insecticides or tobacco dust with black pepper and ash are used against the pest. The folk remedy is used for dusting or preparing a solution for spraying.
• Downy mildew . The disease is fungal and is also called peronosporosis. Oval spots appear on the leaves and grow rapidly. The disease must be controlled with fungicides.
• Mosaic . The disease is viral and is transmitted by aphids. Yellow longitudinal spots appear on the leaves, and crop growth slows down. Affected plants should be removed and burned.
• Rust . Fungal disease. Bright yellow spores resembling pads can be seen on the leaves. Gradually they begin to darken and then turn black, the leaves of the plant dry out. To combat the disease, fungicides are used, most often Fitosporin.

Planting methods

Leeks are grown mainly by seedlings. The southern regions can afford direct cultivation from seeds, but only with the use of film cover, which will protect young plantings from possible return frosts and from excess moisture during the spring rains. Other regions use seedlings.

Seeds

The seed method of growing leeks is possible only in warm climates. Even in the southern regions, it is recommended to sow this crop in open ground at the end of April - beginning of May, when a stable above-zero temperature has established, the soil has warmed up to +15°C and the period of recurrent frosts has passed.

Pearl onion seedlings do not tolerate frost at all.

The key to successfully growing leeks with seeds is properly selected soil. This crop is suitable only for light soils with low acidity. If you sow seeds in acidic soil, seedlings may not appear at all. Adding black soil to the soil will help increase the likelihood of getting a good harvest.

The seed method is used when growing leeks as a two-year crop to obtain seeds.

In this case, sowing is carried out at the end of June. In October, the plants are earthed up and protected from the cold for the winter. In the southern regions, winter sowing is also possible to obtain early shoots in the spring.

Seedlings

The seedling method is suitable for most regions of the country. Given the long growing season, seeds begin to be sown in February. For Siberia, the deadlines are moved forward a month. The optimal age of seedlings for transferring to a permanent place of cultivation is 60-70 days. In the northern regions, it is recommended to grow pearl onions in a greenhouse.

The seedling method is more predictable than the seed method. If you correctly calculate the timing of transplanting seedlings, you can achieve almost 100% maturity.

Harvest and storage

Leeks should be harvested in stages. The first stage occurs in the first half of September. It is worth removing not all plants, but selective ones, in order to provide more space for the rest of the plantings. Final cleaning can also be done during frosts - an adult plant is not afraid of them.

If you plan to store the crop for a long time, then you need to dig up the onions carefully to prevent damage. After digging, you need to remove the soil and partially trim the roots - the bottom of the bulb cannot be touched.

You can store the harvest in different ways. If you want to preserve fresh plants, then the options are as follows:

• Fridge . Only strong specimens are suitable for this storage method. They need to be cleaned, roots trimmed and cooled at zero temperature. Then immediately place the leeks in perforated plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator. The culture is stored in this way for up to 5 months.
• River sand . In this case, the crop must be removed for storage immediately after harvesting. The bottom of the box should be covered with sand in a layer of at least 5 cm. Place the leek vertically, sprinkled with wet sand - the layer should be 15 cm. At zero temperature, the crop can be stored in sand for up to six months.

When storing fresh crops, you need to periodically inspect them to get rid of spoiled specimens. Without such measures, shelf life is significantly reduced and losses increase.

There are other options for storing leeks - drying and freezing. In both cases, the plants must be thoroughly washed, dried on a wire rack and cut into thin slices. Dried onions should be placed in closed jars. For freezing, prepared raw materials must be placed in tight bags or containers; there is no need to defrost them for cooking.

How to plant and grow leeks, harvest and store the harvest is described in this video:

Leeks can be grown in any region if you choose the right planting method. The quality and quantity of the harvest depends on compliance with the rules of crop care - all of them are quite simple and standard.

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Leek diseases and their control

Of the diseases, the most dangerous is mosaic - the aphid carrier of this viral disease. Longitudinal yellow spots appear on leek leaves.

Leeks also suffer from such fungal diseases

: rust and powdery mildew.

For powdery mildew

Oval spots appear, increasing in size over time, on the leaves of leeks.

Plants affected by these diseases become inedible.

Rust

manifests itself by the presence of bright yellow spores on leek leaves. Affected leaves dry out.

How to fight diseases?

It is necessary to treat the plants and soil in the area with a solution of copper oxychloride or Fitosporin.

Viral diseases are not curable, so agrotechnical techniques will help cope with the mosaic:

Weed and pest control; Maintain crop rotation; Seeds for sowing must be disinfected; Removal of infected plants; Growing leek varieties resistant to viruses.

When to plant leeks for seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar calendar at home

The lunar calendar is based on observations of the lunar phases and the effect they had on plants. Experienced gardeners know that during certain lunar phases it is better to stop all work on planting garden crops.

These lunar periods are considered to be the new moon and the full moon. Also, depending on the type of culture, the signs of the Zodiac have different influences.

Below we have collected complete information about when you can and cannot start planting seedlings.

Planting leeks for seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar calendar, favorable days

Despite the fact that it is recommended to sow leek seedlings in early spring, planting can be done in other months.

It is recommended to plant onions when the moon is waning and is in the constellations Aries, Leo and Taurus. This is the best period for planting.

Thus, by month, suitable days were distributed as follows.

• February – 18 -27.
• March – 20 – 26.
• April – 18 – 22, 28 – 30.

ON A NOTE. The remaining days of the waning lunar phase are also favorable for landing, with the exception of days under the signs of Pisces, Aquarius and Cancer.

When is it not worth sowing leeks for seedlings?

It is not recommended to carry out planting work on the full moon, new moon, waxing moon and in the signs of Cancer, Aquarius and Pisces.

The unfavorable days for sowing seeds in 2022 were:

• February – 1 – 17, 28.
• March – 1 – 19, 27 – 31.
• April – 1 – 17, 23 – 27.

Leek pests and their control

The main pest of leeks is the onion fly. The onion fly can cause irreparable damage to the crop.

In May you can already notice the pest; the fly lays eggs on the leaves and soil. After a couple of days, larvae appear, feeding on the center of the leek, and the plants wither and rot.

Fighting onion fly

To protect the crop from onion flies, the area is pollinated with wood ash.

or a mixture of ash and tobacco dust. For 1 m2 of land you will need 1 glass of ash or a mixture of tobacco and ash.

Treatment with ground pepper

, teaspoon per m2 of area after treatment, carry out shallow loosening of the soil.

The use of tobacco infusion has proven itself well. Dilute 200 grams of tobacco and a tablespoon of liquid soap in 10 liters of hot water. Leave to room temperature, strain and spray the plants.

To combat onion flies, a solution with ammonia

with a proportion of 2 tbsp. l. ammonia per 10 liters, water 3 times at intervals of 10 days.

Read the article:

Ammonia: use in the garden and vegetable garden

To be sure to get rid of onion flies, plant celery

.

Video - ONION FLY a simple way to fight

How to properly dig up crops

You already know when to harvest leeks, but now let's talk about how to properly harvest the crop from the garden. First of all, choose a good day, it doesn’t have to be sunny, the main thing is that the garden is dry and your mood is high. Then carefully dig up the false bulb using a fork or shovel. Try not to damage the vegetable with garden tools, otherwise the likelihood of infection of onion stems will increase significantly. Remove soil stuck to the bulbs so that dirt does not get under the leaves of the plant. Thus, collect the entire onion harvest from the plot.

In a well-ventilated room, cover the floor with a cloth, and place the dug up onions on this cloth. Leave them under the roof for a day. During this time, the onion will have time to dry out, and you can return to processing the leek, all that remains is to trim the root system so that the false onion is not damaged, otherwise it is recommended to put the damaged stems into processing immediately, because the leek will not be able to retain its original appearance and will begin to spoil.

Features of growing leeks in different regions

Climatic conditions in the regions differ significantly, so growing vegetables has its own characteristics.

Southern regions

In regions with warm climates, almost all varieties of leeks yield equally well.

Here it is possible to grow both by seedlings and by sowing directly into the garden. You can sow either before winter, usually in November, or in spring, when the soil warms up to +10°C - +12°C.

Northern regions and the Urals

In regions with harsh climates, early ripening onions are grown. In a short summer, a vegetable crop manages to produce a harvest.

In these areas, only seedling cultivation is provided.

Central part of Russia

Despite the fact that the climatic conditions of Central Russia are quite comfortable, growing onions with seeds directly in open ground is rarely practiced.

In the Moscow region, growing leeks is possible only through seedlings.

What varieties of leeks can be grown through seedlings

Growing leeks in seedlings is not used for all varieties. The most popular early ripening varieties are:

• Goliath - the height of the leg is about 30 cm, the diameter is within 6 cm, it is characterized by high yield, excellent taste and long shelf life;
• Vesta - the white part of the stem grows up to 40 cm in height and 3 cm in diameter, has a slightly pungent, delicate taste;
• Columbus is a Dutch variety with a low stem, its bleached part grows up to 20 cm in height and 6 cm in diameter, resistant to cold and temperature changes.

Among the mid-season varieties available for growing through seedlings are:

• Casimir - distinguished by universal use, white stem up to 30 cm in height, perfectly stored in the basement;
• The winner is a popular variety that is distinguished by its gastronomic taste and juiciness of the stem;
• Forrest is short, with a short, powerful white leg, the weight of which reaches 250 grams.

Of the late-ripening varieties suitable for growing through seedlings:

• Bandit is a variety with excellent taste and resistance to low temperatures, wide green leaves have a bluish tint;
• Alligator - belongs to the tall varieties, the white leg grows up to 30 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter, the delicate semi-sharp taste is complemented by a garlicky aroma.

Care Tips

To get a good harvest, the plot is prepared in the fall. Acidic soil is limed, and peat is added to alkaline soil.

Read on to learn when to harvest leeks and how to prepare them for storage.

The bed is dug up to a bayonet depth (about 25 cm). Also per 1 m²:

• rotted manure or compost - 1 bucket;
• rotted sawdust - 2 liter jars;
• superphosphate - 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• Potassium sulfate - 1 tbsp. l.

Leeks are planted in well-moistened soil. It is recommended to grow onions from seeds only in the southern regions, where the air and soil warm up quite early. Germinate seeds in peat pots or nutrient boxes. In the middle zone and in the northern regions, only seedlings are used, which are deepened or mulched by 8 cm. Before planting, young plants are watered, leaves and roots are shortened by 1/3.

Important! Leeks grow best in beds after legumes, cabbage, early potatoes, pumpkin crops, and tomatoes. He “does not like” soil after any onion.

Leeks need moisture, so water them generously up to three times a week. Hill up plants once every two weeks

It is better to carry out work immediately after watering or a few hours after it. This helps the plant form a more powerful, elastic white stalk.

Plants are hilled once every two weeks. It is better to carry out work immediately after watering or a few hours after it. This helps the plant form a more powerful, elastic white stem.

Find out the most delicious and productive varieties of leeks. Weeding is especially important in the first months of the growing season.

Plants need constant feeding. The first is carried out with mullein, diluting 1 liter in 10 liters of water, approximately 3 weeks after planting, when the onion already has 5-6 true leaves. The onions are re-fed after another 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizer, for which they take:

• urea - 20 g;
• superphosphate - 30 g;
• potassium - 15 g;
• water - 10 l.

The last feeding is done in mid-July. Prepare the solution in the same way as for the second one, but increase the proportion of superphosphate to 40 g, potassium to 25 g.

Of the pests, leeks are especially bothered by onion moths. Penetrating inside the leaves, it feeds on living tissues. As a result of such “activity” the entire plant may die. Moths are especially dangerous in dry, hot weather. It is recommended to spray plants with insecticides in May-June. During this treatment, nematodes, thrips, flies, onion hoverflies and other pests are also destroyed.

Onion rust caused by a fungus is also dangerous for leeks. Severely affected plants are burned, the rest are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, potassium fertilizers are applied, and the plantings are constantly loosened and weeded.

Did you know? During excavations in the Valley of the Kings, archaeologists discovered an image of a bow on the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, dated 1327 BC. e.

Leeks are a valuable plant that require little effort to grow.

Harvest dates

Early varieties are harvested from late summer to mid-autumn. Individual plants can be dug up as early as the end of July for cooking - they are not suitable for long-term storage. Leeks of medium-ripening varieties are harvested en masse in the first half of October (before the first frost). Late varieties take longer to ripen. They are dug from late autumn to mid-spring.

Important! Two weeks before harvesting, it is recommended to cover the beds with any light-proof material - the bulbs will become snow-white.

2/3 of the leaves and half of the roots are cut off from the plants and stored in a cool, dark place on lattice shelves. Onions retain their properties well in the freezer

The plants are washed, cleaned, cut in half, and cooled in the refrigerator to 0°C. Then they are packed in film and sent to the freezer. After defrosting, leeks may lose their appearance, but their taste will not be affected.

Onions retain their properties well in the freezer. The plants are washed, cleaned, cut in half, and cooled in the refrigerator to 0°C. Then they are packed in film and sent to the freezer. After defrosting, leeks may lose their appearance, but their taste will not be affected.

Find out how to properly freeze leeks for the winter at home.