When Dad Stayed Home
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Leeks profit from the 'hilling' technique, just as potatoes do.
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Did you know leeks keep growing up to 6 degrees Celsius?
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Leaves turning a rusty orange? Just cut them, it won't harm your harvest.
Leek Tips:
Leek
Leek is a great vegetable.
It’s a hardy plant and very versatile in it’s use. Poach it, use it in soup or go for the good old leek mash, it’s always tasty.
A patch of winter leeks acts as a natural fridge throughout the dark and cold months: simply venture outside and harvest whatever you need.
Garden-wise, you can plant leeks two times a year: once in the early spring (around March) to harvest towards the summer and once in late summer (around August) to harvest throughout the winter. This makes it a very interesting vegetable to get you through the ‘dark months’ of the winter and offer a welcome alternative during ‘cabbage season’.
Now, I have to be honest, I never seed leeks myself. The seeds can’t really be stored long and frankly, I buy about 50 small leek plants for 3 euros from our local market.
Planting leeks is child’s play really. Make a shallow ditch of about 5 centimetres deep with a hoe. Every 15 centimetres, make a hole of 10 centimetres in depth. I often take a crayon, mark the handle of my hoe and use it to make these. Drop a leek in each hole, but don’t cover up just yet. Make sure you leave about 30-40 centimetres between the trenches. Fill up your watering can and water your leeks plenty. The wet mud will settle around the plants, future rain will root them firmer each time.