Helen Musgrave, Head Gardener at River Cottage HQ, explains why leeks are a popular fixture in her vegetable patch.
What a versatile vegetable the humble leek is. They are a staple in kitchens across Britain, enduring freezing temperatures out in the garden until we are ready for the muddy job of digging them up and filling our plates with an array of warming dishes.
To ensure a long cropping season, I like to sow leeks in two batches; the first in pots on a heated bench in the greenhouse in mid-February, and the second in a seedbed outside at the beginning of April. Leeks are ready to be planted out in the ground when they are the length and thickness of a pencil; for my first sowings this is usually by the beginning of May, and the second sowing lines up exactly with the removal of Autumn planted garlic; which means that not only am I getting a lovely later crop of leeks, but I’m also maximising the use of the beds by having leeks ready to go into the ground as soon as the garlic comes out.
Different varieties of leek have varying levels of hardiness, so it’s important to choose the hardiest varieties for the later sowing, as they can then stay in the ground right through the winter and through into January and February. One of my favourite leeks is a variety called ‘Northern Lights’ which has stunning leaves that change colour from a blue-green to a striking purple during the winter months, and will stand well throughout the cold weather until late spring.