Allium porrum (Leeks)

Botanical name: Allium porrum
Common name(s): Leeks
Categories: Fruits and Vegetables

Plant description:

This vegetable is hardy enough to be left in the ground over winter.Its subtle onion flavour is invaluable for flavouring soups, stews, meat and egg dishes.

Family: Alliaceae

Botanical Pronunciation: AL-ee-um

Allium porrum requirements and features

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Attributes
Additional Information

Botanical name	Allium porrum
Plant Care	Deciduous Deciduous – Sheds Its Leaves Annually Full Sun Full Sun – Prefers 6 or more hours of sun per day. Semi Frost Hardy Semi Frost Hardy – Is Able to Survive Moderately Low Temperatures. Moderate Watering Moderate Watering – Requires Regular Watering. Non Indigenous Non Indigenous – Exotic to South Africa.
Categories	Fruits and Vegetables
Common name(s)	Leeks
Origin	Eastern Mediterranean region
Foliage
Planting instructions	Sow seeds in seed boxes or trays, covered with 10mm of soil. Transplant seedlings when they are 200mm tall.Plant leeks into well prepared beds by dropping seedlings into 150mm deep holes made with a dibber and fill with water, without firming the soil around the seedling. Seedlings will quickly start growing. Water twice a week in winter and three times a week in summer.
Maintenance	Earth them up by covering the stem with soil every week, to obtain tall, white stems. Water regularly and feed every two weeks with liquid fertilizer.
Soil conditions	They need particularly rich soil – compost and manure
Uses	The leek, is grown for its culinary utility.Its subtle onion flavor is invaluable for flavoring soups, stews, meat and egg dishes. Medicinal uses – Ease sore throats, coughs, colds and chest ailments, and to improve the voice. this vegetable is packed with potassium, calcium, folic acid, vitamins A, C and K. It is cleansing, a natural diuretic and eliminates uric acid. It is also great for gout sufferers and those with rheumatism, stiffness, and aches and pains
Interesting planting ideas	Plant near cabbages, caraway, carrots, celeriac, celery, lettuces and radishes.
Interesting info	This vegetable is hardy enough to be left in the ground over winter.
Common pests and diseases	Cutworm. Pink rot (a fungal disease that causes the white stem to become pink and soft before rotting away).
Harvest	Harvest by digging plants out when stems are about 20mm in diameter.
Yield	Fifty plants should be enough for a family of four, sow every four weeks in season.