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’ve grown leeks last few years in 6b immediately adjacent to 6a. (Doing kohlrabi this year instead). They grew just fine for me. The only tending needed was weeding. I start them indoors mainly because have tomatoes and other things to start as well. Then I don’t have to worry about germination rates and thinning either. I just pop them in the ground in the spring, let them go all summer, and harvest them throughout fall as I need them. I’ve never had a problem with too hot, too cold, or flowering/woodiness, though I’m sure there is variation between different cultivars. I grew American Flag leeks.