seeds. They grew, but not very
fast. This spring, I had more leeks than
I knew what to do with. Went on
vacation, and came back to leeks that are going to seed, and look more like
garlic than leeks. They seem to have
lots of “sets” at the base of the plants. Are they still good to
eat? Can I pull them up and use the sets
in the fall to plant more leeks? It’s been an interesting
ride.
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| Leeks sold on the streets of Kosovo. |
A. We grow and harvest vegetables at their peak of perfection for eating. Vegetables can be harvested at any time but usually there is a preferred time when they are best for cooking and eating.So, yes there is nothing wrong with eating them at this stage of their development but they are certainly far from prime. I would collect the sets that you are seeing and re-plant and harvest them earlier.
Leeks are grown from seed almost the same way as
onions from seed. Plant leek seeds in mid to late fall, usually
about mid-October or early November in our southern climate.
Transplant seedlings to a
new location in the spring about the first week of March. When planting from seeds in the fall plant the
seeds 1 inch apart and about 1/2 inch deep. I usually am not the precise but
broadcast the seed in a small area and cover the seeds with a shallow layer of
soil. If I don’t want to use garden space, I will plant them this way in a container.You will overwinter them in the
garden in a dense planting.
when they are at least 6 inches tall, dig them up carefully with a trowel or
garden spade so they are not damaged and separate them. Replant them in rows or blocks about 4 to 6
inches apart. If your soil easily drains you can plant them fairly deep, maybe
4 inches or more if they are larger. Onions need to be planted the same depth
as they were growing as seedlings. Leeks can be planted much deeper, deep enough so that only the
growing tips are above ground. If you plant them deep you may not need to
blanch them. Leeks can be fairly large so put the rows about 18 inches apart and further apart if you are growing them for monster size.
transplanting you can blanch the base of the plant (turn them white) by not
letting sunlight reach the bases. Some people pile dirt around them while
others cover the leeks with cardboard that prevents light from reaching the
bases. Blanching is more for aesthetic and traditional appeal. The blanched
portion is more mild in flavor.
period. They are shallow rooted so they will enjoy a surface mulch and frequent
watering.
the first season and, if left in the ground, will send up a flower stalk the
second season and produce seed. To do this they need two “winters” or cold
period. It sounds like they went through two cold periods and sent up a flower
stalk and went to seed.