Cultivating and harvesting leeks in your garden
VEGETABLE PAGES
ONION FLY
Leeks may suffer from onion fly when the maggots feed on the lower stem causing the plant to wilt.
Before sowing or very soon after you can apply calomel dust to the soil.
A spray strength solution of trichlorphon can be watered into the leek roots two or three times during growth.
SOCIETIES
CULTIVATING AND HARVESTING LEEK CROPS
Keep
the leek bed moist in dry weather and hoe regularly to keep the weeds
down.
Except for exhibition plants there is no need to feed the leek plants.
But if you want to be sure of a good crop you can feed with a weak liquid manure and hoe in a small dressing of nitrate of soda.
After the holes the leeks were planted in have filled up, push some soil up to the stems with the hoe.
This will make sure you will have a good length of white (blanched) stem.
Do this earthing up gradually over a period of three weeks because if done too much to soon, the leek plants may rot.
STORING LEEKS
Leeks are certainly among the hardiest of vegetables and can be left in the ground through the autumn and winter.
Pull up as and when required
Use leeks in leek soup, stews, quiches or braised as a tasty mild onion flavoured vegetable with your Sunday lunch!
