Leeks are all members of the allium family of onions, in company with such vegetables as green garlic, chives and scallions. Leeks are an excellent choice for container gardening, and the sweet, mild taste develops too in containers as in a conventional garden. Produce a harvest of leeks out of the container garden fall soups, and enjoy or include a touch of taste to other dishes and fresh salads.

Beginning Seeds

Begin your own leeks before the last frost 8 to 10 weeks from seed , normally mid to late fall. Fill out a container at least six inches deep with a gently acidic soil. Leeks flourish in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

Plant the seeds about 1/2-inch deep from the container. Keep the soil moist, watering the seeds regularly to keep the soil. Put your container in eight hours of sun every day, or at least a place with full sun.

If the seedlings reach three inches tall, thin them out by pulling on some seedlings until the plants are an inch. Prepare your container that is principal once the seedlings reach six inches . Select seedlings that are at least six inches high when you are ready to plant if you prefer to buy leek seedlings.

Transplanting Seedlings

Transplant your seedlings into an outdoor container 10 or more inches deep when the entire temperatures average 50 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. Fill the container with an even mixture of soil and 10-10-10 fertilizer. Create spaces that are deep with comparable instrument or a chopstick. Put the seedlings six inches apart with 12 inches between the rows.

Fill the areas and the holes around the seedlings with the ground mixture. Water the plants once a week to keep the soil moist, but do not over water them. Keep the container in a region where the leeks will get full sunlight, or direct sunshine at least eight hours .

Weed around the plants with caution not to disturb the leeks. Leeks are more likely to being overtaken by weeds in the first phases, so careful weeding can ensure that the plants flourish.

As they grow to lengthen the white stem section of the plant mound the soil around the base of the leeks.

Harvesting Leeks

Harvest leeks whenever they’re large enough normally two to three months once you transplant them.

Until you harvest them to make it much easier to pull them free without breaking of the dirt loosen the soil around the base of the leeks with a garden rake.

Before the flower stalk is visible harvest some overwintered leeks. When the blossom appears, the leeks become stringy, tough and unappealing.

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