Growing Leeks

allium porrum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S S             S S    
    T T             T T

(Best months for growing Leeks in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 8°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 10 - 20 cm apart
  • Harvest in 15-18 weeks. Loosen with a fork rather than pull by hand..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots

Your comments and tips

20 Jan 10, elisa (Australia - temperate climate)
i planted leeks about august last year, of the 7 that were planted only one grew to a decent size, the others are still in there but no where near ready to pull. why would this be, could i have planted them too close together or was i just too late in planting?
11 Jan 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thanks very much for the tips Chris, Demeter and Barb. The variety sounded so nice too - a French one called Jaune du Poitou. Next year I will give it another try. One positive thing the flowers are beautiful and the bees love them.
02 Jan 10, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
All is not lost if your leek goes to flower - You can eat the flower stem, just cook it like asparagus. I've never tried eating the leek flowers, but spring onion flowers can be a yummy addition to salad - I just pick a few 'petals' when they have the nectar in them (sweet and oniony flavour) and add to salad or garnish.
30 Dec 09, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Evelyn, once leeks start to flower they are completely inedible. You need to harvest them well before they grow the flower stem as it is very woody. You shouldn't need to cover the stems, but I would harvest them as soon as they reach an edible size (a couple of centimetres in diameter).
30 Dec 09, Demeter (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Same. I think I planted them too late last summer and now have gone to seed and virtually inedible. Planting more now.
13 Dec 09, Evelyn (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I grew leeks for the first time and harvested the first one yesterday. It was flowering and it was the leek with the thickest stem. I must have done something terribly wrong as the stem was very hard and difficult to cut. Almost like cutting into a piece of bamboo. I did not cover the stems (blanching?) with soil but let them grow normally - maybe I should have done something different. Any advice.
22 Nov 09, Vicki (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Wash, chop and steam the green leaves of the leek for a tasty side dish to chicken/fish/meat and mash potatoes. You can also saute the chopped leaves in butter or add them to soups and stews. Delicious!
12 Oct 09, Maureen (Australia - temperate climate)
I have some Leeks growing at the moment and they have a round ball shape at the top of the plant is this usual
25 Jul 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hey Rhonda, let us know how your hose blanching goes! I just pile up mulch.
10 Jul 09, Rhonda (Australia - temperate climate)
I had a hose, about 6cm diameter, cut it into lengths of about 20 cms, put one over each plant. Hope that this will work for the "blanching". What do you think Chris.?
Showing 121 - 130 of 140 comments

Ask a question or post a comment or advice about Leeks

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put GardenGrow in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use GardenGrow and subscribe to the free GardenGrow planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About GardenGrow | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.