Leek Seeds - Bulgarian Giant

(Allium ampeloprasum porrum)

The leek looks like a giant green onion. It’s considerably fatter than a scallion, at 3 to 9cm wide, and about twice as tall. But it totally wears the same outfit, albeit in a bigger size.

Leeks are slow growing when young so it is recommended to start them late summer in pots or punnets to get a head start. Depending on the temperatures in your region sowing from March-April is ideal. Choose a fertile position in your garden rich in organic matter. Transplant to the garden at 5-10cm tall and mulch to suppress weeds.

Planting Guide: Use a high quality seed raising mix, sow your seeds and cover with 3mm of soil and keep moist until germinated. Once your plants are 20-30cm tall you can blanch for 3 weeks prior to harvesting for a whiter, softer stem. Blanching is a simple process that restricts light getting to the stalks causing the plant to quickly elongate with soft new growth. To blanch simply wrap the lower 2/3 of the plant in 3-4 layers of newspaper so the top of the plant in the only part exposed to the sun. This can also be achieved with a used milk carton that has had the bottom and top of the carton cut out - Simply slip the carton over the plant for the same affect.