Leeks in a bucket
Leeks are a great vegetable because they are there to be used during winter and are easy to grow and cook. I love Leeks sweated with butter in the pan for a few minutes. They also make a sustaining soup with potatoes. Great for a cold winter’s day.





I transplant them into the space freed up by the digging of the early potatoes which is usually late June or early July. I find this is not too much of a disadvantage because vegetables are seasonal, and I tend to eat the leeks when most other vegetables are finished. My later transplanting means they don’t grow too large, I prefer them to be smaller as I think they are tastier.

When I transplant the leeks I dib 6” (15cm) deep holes 8” (20cm) apart using a piece of tree branch I keep for the purpose. Before dropping the plants into the hole I use my thumb nail to trim the roots to 2-3” (5-8cm) and, if the longest leaf is very long I trim this back to the length of the next longest. Finally I carefully fill the hole with water, and as with all transplants, keep filling until the water does not clear quickly.



One time I thought I’d give them a boost by using nettle juice, and this was before I realised that it needs to be greatly diluted. Nettle juice absolutely stinks. The following day the newly transplanted leek bed looked like World War III. Soil all over the place, with bits of leek plants sticking out here and there: leaves, roots and even bits I didn’t recognise. I stood there aghast.