🥕
Tending the crop…
🥕 Vegetable
How to Grow Leeks
A patient, cold-hardy allium grown for its thick white shaft — start indoors 8-10 weeks early, transplant at pencil thickness into deep holes, and harvest from late summer through spring.
Harvest
120 Days
Sunlight
full
Watering
moderate
Medium
in-ground or raised-bed
Spacing
1 sq ft
274%
Return on Investment
One leeks plant produces roughly 6 lbs. Worth $14.94 vs a $3.99 seed cost.
Practical Maintenance
- Light: Full Sun (6+ hrs/day)
- Water: Moderate — water 1-2x per week
- Spacing: 1 sq ft per plant.
Champion Varieties
Lineages for your homestead goals
American Flag
A classic tall, thick leek (130 days) — the standard American variety.
King Richard
Early, slender, and mild — ready in 75-85 days for baby leeks.
Blue Solaise
A French winter leek with blue-green leaves — exceptionally cold-hardy.
Bleu de Solaise
The traditional overwintering French heirloom, improved for frost sweetening.
Guilds & Companions
Permaculture Allies
Resource Competitors
Complete Care Guide
Soil · Water · First 30 days · Monthly care · Troubleshooting · Harvest
Soil
Deep, loose, moisture-retentive soil. pH 6.0–7.0. Leeks are the patient allium — they want a long cool season and soil that never bakes dry. Dig in compost before planting; a trench or deep hole makes blanching easy.
Watering
1 inch per week, consistently. Leeks are shallow-rooted; drought stress stalls the stalk instead of killing it, and the plant never fully recovers. Keep the soil evenly moist, especially through midsummer.
🗓️ The First 30 Days
- Days 1–7Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost, 1/4 inch deep, 2–3 seeds per cell. Leeks want 60–70°F; a warm windowsill or heat mat keeps them honest.
- Days 8–21Keep seedlings bright and cool — leeks grow slowly and leggy seedlings are the classic failure. Thin to one per cell at 3 inches. Harden off for 5–7 days before setting out.
- Days 22–24Transplant at pencil thickness — not before. Make a 6-inch-deep hole (or trench) with a dibble, drop the leek in, and water it in; no need to backfill. This buried stem is your white shaft.
- Days 25–28Space 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart — or 4 inches apart if you're growing slender baby leeks. Mulch with straw to keep soil cool and weeds down.
- Days 29–30