So I’ve been reading the history of leeks today.
This last year or so, I bought and cooked some for the first time in my life. I never had them as a child, even growing up on a farm, and I don’t understand why. They are absolutely phenomenal and I cannot stop cooking with them.
I live in zone 6a, in North America. I’ve read leeks prefer cold weather. While our summers here do get hot, peaking in July (with tons of rain), our winters have become so mild. It does not snow much here at all any longer. The only month it is truly cold is February, and the coldest weather is usually the driest. Whenever precipitation happens here during winter, it’s never on the cold days, winter precipitation brings darling 45°F rain. Least for the last 7 years or so.
Anyway, I’ve read they grow wild in places like the UK, Wales, and Ireland. I think I could take advantage of our mild winters.
Are leeks something I could plant in the fall? Anyone here familiar with growing them?
I tried to grow leeks in my garden, but I don’t think I did it right because when I went to harvest them the stalk was not tasty like it had become woody or something. Do you need to harvest them before they start to create the flower?
Yes, you don’t want it to flower.
That’s true of basically all plants. I don’t know of any off the top of my head that still taste good by the time they flower.
Only things that you eat the flower or seeds.
Sounds like you waited too long to harvest - leeks get woody when they mature too much, gotta pull them when the stalks are about 1-2 inches thick for the best texture and flavor.
From my brief look into it today, it seems similar in this way to garlic.
You want to cut its scape, or flower, when it appears, so that the plant puts more energy into its root/stalk, not the flower. Then the plant will continue to grow.
Happy cake day :)
Oh yeah? Wow time flies. Thank you :)