Leeks, planting and care in open ground, growing methods. Leeks growing, planting and care in open ground When can you sow leeks

Leeks - served pickled, dried, steamed, boiled, fried and of course fresh. It is used in the kitchen as a separate product, and as an additive in other dishes, when preparing winter preparations; it has even found itself as a kind of seasoning. A little care and work, and a real storehouse of vitamins will appear on your table.

Features of growing leeks

This is a two-year culture, on which the bulb does not grow like the turnip onion that is familiar to everyone. In the first year of plants, a false stem forms in the form of a cylinder.

The plant has broad leaves that grow in a fan shape around the stem. The false stem, which grows up to 7 cm in diameter, is mainly used for food; the bushes grow up to 30 cm in height.

In the second year, the leek throws out an arrow, at the end of which an inflorescence resembling a ball appears. At the end of the season, you can collect seeds from it. Seed germination occurs at a temperature of about 2 degrees.

Leeks cannot withstand frost, but after the seedlings take root, light frosts are not scary for him. It is grown using seedlings, or by direct sowing of seeds in a garden bed.

Plot for growing leek seedlings

To get a good harvest of leeks, you need to set aside beds with fertile, well-cultivated soil for it.

An area with neutral or slightly acidic soil is suitable for this crop. Leeks for seedlings should be sown in places where they will be well supplied with moisture.

It develops well on moist loamy soils, but if they are clayey, then sand must be added to the beds - otherwise the plant develops with difficulty and may even die.

To fertilize the beds intended for planting this crop, potassium salt, superphosphate, urea and good compost are used.

Obtaining leek seedlings from seeds

In order for onion seeds to germinate quickly, you need to prepare them properly.

To do this, they are immersed in hot water for 20 minutes, after which they are removed and immersed in cold water.

After this procedure, the seeds are kept in a warm place for three days.

When the seeds begin to sprout, they are dried a little on gauze and planted in the soil.

Sowing leeks for seedlings

To get good leek seedlings, you need to choose the right time for sowing the seeds.

In most regions, the best time to sow is in February. There is almost no need to care for seedlings of this type of onion; regular spraying and watering the soil when the top layer dries is all that is required.

If you do not have space at home and the seedlings will grow in a greenhouse, then sowing leek seeds should be done in the second ten days of April. At the end of the month, or in the first ten days of May, the seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Containers for seedlings are filled with soil mixture, leaving the boxes 2 cm short of the edge. Furrows are made in them every 5 cm, 1-1.5 cm deep, and seeds are sown in them. After this, the boxes are transferred to a warm place and covered with film. Inside this kind of greenhouse, the temperature reaches about 25 degrees. Immediately after the seedlings appear, remove the film and transfer the boxes to a room where the temperature is maintained at 17 degrees during the day and 12 degrees at night. After a week, you can raise the temperature for leek seedlings to 20 degrees during daylight hours and 14 degrees at night.

Caring for leek seedlings

After the sprouts appear, you need to start caring for the seedlings, this directly affects the outcome of all the work.

Leek is a plant that develops well only with sufficient moisture. For this reason, it is necessary to keep the soil slightly moist at all times, but you should not water the plants too much, as they may develop root rot.

Moisten the soil with warm water, the procedure is carried out carefully so as not to wash away the root system and not damage the stems of the seedlings. In addition to watering, fertilizing the plants is important; it should be carried out 1-2 times before transplanting into the ground. To ensure that the roots of the plants grow well and the edible part of the stem becomes thick, the leaves of the leek are cut off when planting. They should be left no longer than 10 cm.

Planting leek seedlings

Transplantation of seedlings to a permanent place is carried out after hardening. To do this, for 35-40 days, the seedlings are watered less and taken outside during the day.

Planting plants in open ground is most often necessary in the last ten days of April, or in the first ten days of May. Before planting seedlings, it and the area need to be prepared. The leaves and roots of the seedlings are partially pruned and they are planted in a permanent place in pre-cut grooves. Which are done every 0.5 m, in rows the onions are planted every 10 cm, this will make it easier to hill them, and this will allow the plants to grow a false stem well. The plants are immersed in the soil, a little deeper than they grew in the boxes.

Leek care

Planting leek seeds to grow seedlings is not enough to provide the required amount of product.

The most difficult thing is to properly care for weak seedlings.

The basis for obtaining a good onion harvest is two factors: timely care of the plants and the organization of proper fertilizing at the right time for leeks.

In addition, to obtain a harvest, regular weeding of the beds and loosening of the soil is necessary.

Water the onions as needed; the plants respond well to fertilizing with chicken droppings, diluting it with clean water, in a ratio of droppings to water of 1:20.

When the young plant forms powerful roots, fertile soil must be added under the stems of the seedlings.

At about the age of 2 months, you need to hill the leek for the first time, then, if necessary, hilling is repeated until harvesting.

Plants develop better if wood ash is added to the soil before hilling.

This crop requires regular removal of weeds; onions cannot tolerate competitors growing nearby for sunlight and nutrition.

Protecting leek seedlings

Like any other crop in the garden, leeks can also get sick and are also threatened by pests. But compared to onions, its main advantage is that it is more durable and less susceptible to disease or invasion by harmful insects.

By following the basic rules for caring for this crop (compliance with agrotechnical requirements and proper cultivation of leek seedlings), you can grow it strong and healthy.

However, there are also insects that are dangerous to leeks, for example, the onion fly is very harmful to it. But carrots growing near the onion beds will help resist the pest.

Tobacco thrips can also cause trouble. Special chemical compounds will help destroy it. Nature has also created an enemy for this pest - the predatory mite.

One of the most common diseases, powdery mildew, can cause great harm. Bordeaux mixture will help save crops from it. If the plants show signs of white rot disease, then you know that it’s time to lime the soil.

The leek is a giant among other onions. Some of its varieties reach a meter in height. Traditionally, a lot of leeks are grown in the south of Ukraine, the Baltic states and Transcaucasia. In Russia it is just gaining popularity.

The main edible part of the vegetable is the bleached false stem, consisting of leaf sheaths. The length of this part of the plant can reach 50 cm. Young leek leaves - wide, ribbon-shaped - can also be used for food. As they mature, they will become coarser and tasteless.

Adding leek to food makes it tasty and digestible. Onions do not have a pungent odor, they have a delicate aroma and delicate taste. The bleached part of the leek is sweetish, so it can be eaten by people with diseases of the digestive tract

Requirements for growing conditions

Leeks are part of the group of sweet Spanish onions, along with shallots, onions, batun, multi-tiered and chives. The birthplace of the culture is the northern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Hence the temperature requirements - the plant is cold-resistant enough to tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -5, sometimes up to -10 degrees and a long-term drop to -1... -2 degrees.

The optimal temperature for photosynthesis in leeks is the same as for other vegetables of Mediterranean origin - it ranges from +17... +23. Leeks grow poorly at temperatures above +30 degrees.

Temperature range for leek

The optimal soil acidity for the crop is 6.8-6.0.

Like all onions, leeks are a rosette plant, but unlike the tubular leaves of leeks and turnips, leek leaves have a linear, braid-like shape.

Leek is a biennial. In the first year, leaves are formed, in the second - the storage organ (bulb) and seeds.

Despite its exotic appearance, leek is cold-resistant. In areas where there is a lot of snow, for example in Siberia, it can successfully winter right in the garden bed. The next year the plant will produce a bulb and seeds.

The state register includes 27 varieties suitable for cultivation in all regions of Russia, including Siberia and the Far East. In seed stores you can buy seeds of the following varieties:

• Alligator– medium late, weight of the bleached part 300 g, yield 3.5 kg sq. m;
• Karantansky– late ripening, weight of the bleached part 300 g, semi-sharp taste;
• Elephant's trunk– mid-season, summer-autumn in ripening, mass of the productive part 150 g, yield more than 4 kg per square meter. m.

Preparing for landing

Due to the length of the growing season, in most regions of the Russian Federation, leeks are grown by seedlings. Only in the south can it be sown with seeds in open ground. Plants sown directly into the garden are more hardened and can more easily withstand drought and cold weather.

It is better not to overgrow seedlings. The highest yield is achieved when planting 30-40-day-old plants. When planting 50-day-old seedlings, you may lose yield, since its roots will be damaged during transplantation.

At the time of planting in open ground, good seedlings are 15-20 cm long, 3-4 true leaves and 0.3-0.4 cm in diameter.

Beyond the Urals, seeds for seedlings are sown on March 15, in the middle zone no later than March 1. The planting containers are covered with peat mixed with diammophos (40 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of substrate).

Table: mode of growing seedlings

Leeks are returned to their original place no earlier than after 3-4 years. The best predecessors of culture:

• legumes;
• cruciferous;
• Solanaceae;
• pumpkin

Leeks are demanding of moisture and fertility. Loamy and floodplain soils with a pH close to neutral are suitable for growing the crop. The soil is prepared in the fall - they dig it with a shovel and apply mineral fertilizers. Add 100 g of diammofoska per meter of bed. Fertilizer can be applied later - with irrigation water.

The seeds are sown in the garden bed when the first field work begins. Seedlings are planted 2 weeks later. The first date for planting seedlings in open ground is May 15.

Leeks are grown in multi-line ribbons with a distance between lines of 30 cm and between plants in a row of 10-20 cm. The largest yield (4-5 kg) is obtained when 40 plants are planted per square meter.

In the first half of summer, onions develop slowly, so fast-growing vegetables can be sown between the rows: spinach, kohlrabi, radishes, carrots.

To extend the period of consumption of fresh produce, summer sowing of leek seeds in open ground is used. In such plants, only young leaves are eaten.

Care

Caring for leeks is almost no different from caring for onions. The only difference is that you need to hill the plants 2-3 times, covering the lower part of the leaves with soil. This technique ensures whitening of the false stem.

Plant care includes:

• 2 fertilizing with complex fertilizers;
• chemical treatment in May against onion fly;
• 2 hillings - at the end of June and at the end of August;
• weeding;
• watering.

Fertilizers

The crop removes an average amount of nutrients from the soil, which is due to the small volume of the root system. At the same time, leeks need high soil fertility, as they need to form an impressive above-ground mass. Early-ripening varieties that quickly form a harvest are especially demanding in terms of nutrition.

Leeks are responsive to organic matter, but it must be introduced in the fall or under the previous crop. As for mineral fertilizers, leeks require potassium fertilizers most of all. Nitrogen is in second place, phosphorus is in third.

Phosphorus promotes the formation of powerful roots. Potassium improves taste. Nitrogen fertilizing promotes leaf growth.

All fertilizing is stopped a month before harvesting so that the taste of the products does not deteriorate.

Watering

The crop is sensitive to lack of moisture in the soil. The soil in the garden should always be slightly moist.

During drought, leaf growth stops. If you water the onions at this time, pouring at least 2 buckets of water per square meter, growth will quickly resume.

Drip irrigation is very effective, allowing you to keep the soil in the root zone constantly moist. You can use furrow irrigation.

When to Harvest

Leek has no physiological dormancy and grows intensively throughout the entire growing season, which can be up to 220 days. Harvest this green onion.

Leeks are 2-3 times more productive than onions.

In the first half of summer, leeks produce bunches. Onions begin to be selectively harvested when they have formed 4-5 true leaves. In the middle zone, leek harvesting ends at the end of October. Some of the onions can be left in the soil and removed in the spring.

Early ripening varieties can be harvested 130-150 days after emergence. The first number means technical ripeness and selective harvesting, the second – the time when mass harvesting is carried out.

Plants during harvesting:

• lightly dig with a shovel;
• carefully removed from the ground;
• shake the soil;
• leaves are cut by 2/3;
• dried.

Harvest in Siberia

Mid-season varieties have a growing season of 150-170 days. In Siberia they are harvested in the second half of September.

Late varieties with a growing season of 170-200 days are recommended only for cultivation in the south and middle zone. When sowing them in Siberia, you may not get a significant harvest.

How to store leeks

In the fall, the dug up leek can be buried in a greenhouse or cellar. At low positive temperatures, onions can be stored in storage for 3-4 months, while the content increases by 2 times.

Growing leek seedlings has recently gained considerable popularity among summer residents. Many people liked this vegetable for its taste (delicate smell, spicy sweet taste) and ability to easily adapt to different climatic conditions and produce a rich harvest. In cooking, leeks are used both raw and canned, pickled, salted and dried. In addition to its pleasant taste, onions have beneficial medicinal properties.

Beneficial features

The chemical composition of leeks includes a large amount of protein, vitamins B2, Bj, B, C, PP and minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, nickel, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iron). Due to the high content of ascorbic acid, carotene, potassium, and the low content of hot essential oils, this dietary product is used to improve metabolism, increase appetite, improve immunity, and also to treat many diseases.

Used for diseases:

• rheumatism;
• stones in the kidneys;
• obesity;
• salt deposits;
• gout;
• atherosclerosis.

How to grow leek seedlings?

Methods of growing onions: seedless method (direct sowing in the soil) and seedling method. Direct planting of seeds in the ground is used mainly in southern regions with long warm summers. Here the soil warms up faster. For other regions, growing onions with seedlings is more acceptable.

The best place to plant onion seedlings

Onions are grown as seedlings on well-cultivated lowland fertile soils, seasoned with organic fertilizers. Slightly acidic or neutral soil is suitable. It can also be grown in well-moistened loamy and sandy soils. Unfavorable soils are heavy clay soils. To fertilize the land, superphosphate, potassium salt, compost, and urea are used.

Growing onion seedlings from seeds

To grow onion seedlings from seeds, a preparatory stage should be carried out. It consists of special seed treatment. The seeds are placed in hot water 45 for 20 minutes, then in cold water. For quick germination, seeds are soaked for three days in warm water. After the seeds hatch, they are left to dry.

Sowing seeds

Onion seeds are planted at certain times. To grow seedlings, use boxes that can be placed on the window, and it is better to start sowing in mid-February. In greenhouses, sowing occurs in mid-April. And at the end of April, you can sow seeds in the beds, while covering them with film.

In small boxes or other suitable-sized containers prepared for planting, specially prepared water is poured into them, but not to the very top. Sowing of seeds is carried out in rows with an interval of 5 cm, and the depth of the furrow should not exceed 1.5 cm. Subsequently, cover with film and place the boxes in a dry and warm place. The room temperature must be maintained around +25. When the first shoots appear, the film must be removed and the temperature maintained at +17 during the day and +12 at night. In this mode, onion seedlings are kept from seeds for about a week. After a week of aging, the seedlings are transferred to a different temperature regime - +20 during the day and +14 at night. This regime is followed throughout the entire stage of growing seedlings.

Caring for leek seedlings

Based on the conditions in which the seeds are grown, the first shoots may appear on the 10th – 20th day.

Leeks are a crop that requires moist soil. Therefore, you should ensure that the soil does not dry out. But at the same time, you should not over-moisturize.

Water the leek seedlings with warm water, carefully so as not to damage the stem. But watering alone is not enough; the seedlings need to be fed. Fertilizer feeding can be done once, but two are better.

To strengthen the root system and thicken the stem, it is necessary to trim the leaves so that their length after trimming is 10 cm.

Immediately before planting the seedlings in the soil, it is necessary to gradually harden them, take them outside, while reducing watering. After six weeks, planting in open ground occurs.

Transplanting

Onion seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of April and until the beginning of May. Seedlings are planted in rows on a pre-prepared and fertilized area, going a little deeper than they were in the seedling boxes. The roots and leaves are slightly trimmed.

For good growth of leeks and convenient hilling during the growing season, the distance between rows of growing plants should be at least 10 cm, and between rows - at least 50 cm.

Growing technology

The technology for growing onions through seedlings includes two main factors: care and feeding. Caring for young plants is especially important. Do not neglect weeding and loosening the soil. Plants should be watered and fertilized as needed. Water abundantly and feed mainly only during the growing season, in the first half.

Bird droppings are a good fertilizer for onions. It is used in a solution of 1:20.

After the seedlings are well rooted, add fertile soil. Hilling is carried out after two months and repeated as necessary until harvest. Before hilling, it is useful to add wood ash to the rows. It is worthwhile to carry out weed control in a timely manner.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting, depending on the variety, begins in August until the onset of frost. The plant is dug up with a shovel and pulled out of the ground. The roots are removed and the leaves are shortened by 2/3 of the length. Leeks tolerate frost well. If you leave it in the ground for the winter, it will overwinter well and sprout in the spring. For better overwintering, you should cover the plant with soil, cover it with branches, preferably coniferous ones.

You can store leeks in the basement all winter, at a temperature of 0°C, with a humidity of 80%, buried in a vertical position in damp sand.

When stored, leeks not only do not reduce the content of ascorbic acid, but on the contrary increase it even more.

Video: how to plant leeks

To get a good harvest of leeks, it is better to grow them through seedlings. It is not difficult to grow at home from seeds.

Let's consider in detail: growing leek seedlings from seeds, sowing time, caring for seedlings before planting in open ground.

Leek has a long growing season, ripening occurs after 5-6 months, so it is grown from seedlings.

To get a harvest in August-September, onion seeds need to be sown already in early February.

Leek differs in varieties and ripening period - early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening.

Very good leek variety Karantanskiy, we grow it every season.

Before sowing, purchased seeds are sown in the ground without doing anything with them. If you collected the seeds yourself, it is better to process them before sowing. in a solution of Epin or Fitosporin for 12 o'clock. After processing, dry the seeds.

Prepare a container for sowing; any plastic boxes or cassettes (for example, from cakes) work well. Make drainage holes to allow excess moisture to escape.

As an option drainage holes may not be made, but then be sure to add drainage to the bottom - perlite or expanded clay. Pour soil into the container, compacting it slightly and water well.

Attention: A good option is, instead of watering the soil, spread and compact the snow on the surface in a layer of 1-2 cm and sow onion seeds on it - it’s easy to lay out the seeds on a white background, and secondly, when the snow melts, it saturates the soil with useful melt water.

Scatter dry seeds over the surface of the soil and sprinkle with a thin layer of soil, no thicker than 1 cm. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Cover the container with the crops with film.

We place the container with the seeds in a room with a temperature of 22-24 degrees until germination. Remove the film at least once a day for ventilation; you can also moisten the soil with a spray bottle.

In about 10 days When the first shoots appear, remove the film. Move the seedlings to a bright place with a temperature of 15-17 degrees during the day and 10-12 degrees at night. This temperature must be maintained for about 1 week, this is done so that the leek does not bloom in the first year.

Water moderately, do not let the soil dry out.

2 weeks after germination, it is necessary to prune at a level of 8-10 cm. If the sprouts are lower, then they are not pruned until they grow to the desired height. Pruning promotes better development of leeks.

To prevent the seedlings from stretching, it is necessary to illuminate them with a phytolamp in the amount of up to 16 hours a day.

Planting leeks in open ground

Approximately 70 days after sowing, seedlings can be planted in open ground. At the time of planting, the plants should have at least 3 leaves, and the diameter of the stem should be about 6 mm.

The landing site should be bright and sheltered from the wind. Three days before planting in the ground, it is necessary to harden the seedlings by taking them out into the open air for a couple of hours.

Timing for planting leeks in open ground depend on the region and can fluctuate in one direction or another.

Leeks are not afraid of return frosts and therefore can be planted in open ground already in late April – early May.

Video - Growing leeks through seedlings. Sowing seeds

Popular among gardeners, leeks are a healthy vegetable with a slightly pungent taste. Contains vitamins and microelements necessary for the human body. It is grown in industrial, farm and country farms. For good yield, you should know how to plant leeks. It has its own characteristics of planting, growth, and care in open ground.

Origin of culture

It is not known for certain where this vegetable came from. Selectors are inclined to believe that his homeland is Mesopotamia, which is the name of the region on the territory of Iraq and Iran. Egyptian manuscripts found by archaeologists contain information that the builders of the pyramids included a vegetable similar to leek in their diet. Onions were brought to the Mediterranean from Asian countries and were used in Rome, Greece, and Europe. The ancestor of the modern leek had a more pronounced bulb. Now the crop is grown everywhere.

Characteristics and description of leek:

• biennial herbaceous plant;
• belongs to the onion family;
• propagated by seeds;
• height 0.4-0.9 m;
• in the first year of growth, the root system develops, the white leg grows up to 12 cm with a diameter of 2-8 cm;
• in the second year the plant produces an arrow with seeds.

What does a leek look like?

Its other name is the Pearl Prince. In Russia, due to the peculiarities of growing and caring for leeks, they are cultivated mainly in the southern regions, but there are ways to get a good harvest in other regions. In terms of frequency of use in nutrition, it is second only to onions and garlic. They are used as food fresh, boiled, stewed, baked, pickled. The taste of the fresh vegetable is slightly spicy, but not hot.

The height of the plant from the ground is 0.4-0.9 m. The leaves are green or bluish.

The flowers are white or pinkish, the inflorescence forms an umbrella, similar to a large ball, but does not form a bulb. It can separate several baby bulbs.

The stem is thick and white. The leaves are long and grow in bunches. For clarity, the photo shows leeks:

Varietal diversity

Early, mid-season and late varieties of leek are known. The early ones include Elephant Trunk, Vesta, Goliath. They ripen in August and are used fresh or canned. Mid-season varieties are Bastion, Winner, Tango, Elephant. Stored for up to 3 months. Late varieties are left to overwinter in the ground and harvested in early spring. Late-ripening onions Carantansky, Elephant, Autumn giant.

There are 2 ways to grow leeks: from seeds and seedlings. In poor climatic conditions, they are grown from seedlings so that they have time to ripen. In the southern regions, the soil warms up quickly, so it is permissible to immediately grow from seeds.

Useful properties and contraindications

Leeks contain sodium, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, H, group B. It is a dietary product because it is low in calories. Saturated with iron and vitamin C. This allows the vegetable to be used in the prevention and treatment of anemia. Ascorbic acid increases the body's protective properties and breaks down fat deposits.

Fiber improves intestinal motility and creates favorable conditions for the development of beneficial microflora. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure. Leek essential oils make breathing easier and help with flu, bronchitis, and hay fever. The vegetable reduces high cholesterol levels and prevents cancer (with the exception of smokers).

If you have even one of the contraindications, it’s worth thinking about how you can replace leek in your diet. Fresh vegetables are contraindicated for:

• gastrointestinal diseases;
• impaired functioning of the kidneys and bladder;
• urolithiasis;
• high blood pressure;
• individual intolerance.

In limited quantities, leeks can be eaten by nursing women. Excessive consumption of vegetables can cause headaches. With diarrhea and increased stomach acidity, onions can aggravate the situation. If you have a tumor caused by smoking, it is undesirable to use it, as it can cause its growth.

Growing seedlings from seeds

Leek is a biennial plant. Tender leaves and a succulent stem grow only in the second year of its life. But there are several ways to grow leeks from seeds in one season: early sowing in a greenhouse and pre-growing seedlings. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages; each gardener chooses what is acceptable for himself.

The active growth period is 150-200 days. This process is accelerated by growing leeks through seedlings. Planting time: late February - early March.

The seed material is prepared and planted in separate containers or jars. The grown seedlings are transferred to the ground or greenhouse (greenhouse).

Preparation and sowing

Leeks require preliminary planting of seeds and care of seedlings. Seeds can be used 3-4 years after they are collected. To get a large harvest, it is advisable to take young seeds. But for the prevention of viral diseases, on the contrary, stale ones - only after 2 years of storage.

Soak the leek seeds in warm water for 25 minutes, then put them in cool water and remove. Sometimes rinsing with running boiling water through a sieve is used, followed by rinsing with cold water. Next, wrap in a damp cloth and leave for several days, periodically moisturizing. This will speed up the emergence of seedlings. Dry the seeds a little before planting.

Further actions with planting material depend on climatic conditions and the variety of vegetable. In the southern regions, early ripening varieties can be immediately planted in the ground. In other areas, sow seeds in previously prepared containers. They should be at least 12 cm deep, disinfected, treated with a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. It is important that the planting material has room for the development of the root system.

Fill the containers with light humus soil, compact them a little, and water well. Sow the seeds 5 cm apart, cover them with 5 mm of sand, do not water immediately, cover with film. Keep at 22-25°C until seedlings emerge.

Features of caring for seedlings

Growing leek seedlings until germination will take 2-3 weeks. Then the containers should be moved to a cooler place for 1 week (temperature from 10°C at night to 17°C during the day). Then grow at night temperatures from 13°C and daytime temperatures to 20°C. It is important to provide the seedlings with 12 hours of daylight. For these purposes, you can use LED or phytolamps.

Caring for leek seedlings involves regular and sufficient watering. Drying out the soil is unacceptable. 1 month after germination, thin out the onions, leaving 3-4 cm between sprouts. After the leek grows 10 cm, prune the seedlings every 2 weeks, leaving this height. You need to do 2 feedings: 2 weeks after emergence and 1 week before planting the seedlings.

Attention! Picking when growing leeks is undesirable. This may damage the small roots.

Planting seedlings in beds

Growing leeks requires constant care: when growing seedlings, after planting in the ground. If all the rules are followed, the seedlings produce strong seedlings with formed leaves. After planting, the seedlings also need to be looked after, following the rules of watering, hilling, and fertilizing. It is necessary to ensure that viral, bacterial, fungal diseases do not develop, and pests do not appear.

When to plant leeks

The plant must be strong and the root system must be well developed. Leeks should be planted in open ground when 3-4 leaves are formed. This usually happens 2 months after sowing the seeds. The height of the plant is about 15 cm. When planting seedlings, the temperature should not fall below 0°C even at night.

It must be remembered that frosts are detrimental to young onions. Therefore, the main condition for planting is warm soil. On average - mid-May, 55-60 days after sowing.

Leek seedlings grown and planted in the ground must continue to be cared for. There are varieties that remain in the ground all winter and are harvested in the spring. They should be planted in the summer, and young onions can be eaten in the fall. The main harvest remains until spring, while during the winter the beneficial substances from the leaves are transferred to the stem, and the onion becomes even better.

Preparing the bed

Before planting leeks, you need to prepare the beds. It’s good if tomatoes, legumes, potatoes, cabbage, and eggplants grew in this soil before. It is not advisable to plant in the same place more than once every 3 years. Leeks' neighbors can be beets, carrots, strawberries, and celery. You can also alternate beds with them.

Before planting, first dig up the soil and fertilize it. If the soil is acidic (leek does not grow on such soil), you can add ground limestone or dolomite flour. It is advisable to mark the landing lines in advance. The soil should not be dry; moisten it before planting, but do not flood it.

Landing technology

It is important to know how to plant leeks correctly. To ensure a good harvest, a bright, open place is selected and the soil is prepared. Seedlings need to be planted in mid-to-late May; in some regions, weather conditions allow this to be done at the end of April, beginning of May.

On a note! Before planting seedlings, it is useful for the roots of the seedlings to be dipped in mash: clay and mullein (1:1) with water.

When planting, seedlings should have at least 3 leaves. Pre-water it abundantly, trim the roots and leaves by 1/3. Plant in long V-shaped furrows. Can be planted from individual containers into holes. Loosen the bottom of the furrow well in advance and apply fertilizer (for example, manure, ash). There should be 10-15 cm between future plants, and 35-50 cm between rows. After planting, leeks require care.

Direct sowing into the ground

Another way to grow leeks is directly from seeds into the ground. The sowing time is the same and depends on the growing region. It is necessary that the soil has time to warm up; frosts are very undesirable and can destroy the crop. Treat the seeds before planting: disinfect, you can also use a manganese solution. Soak first in warm water, then dip in cold. Or rinse first with hot and then cold water. Leave in a wet cloth for several days to germinate.

When planting leeks in the ground, the soil must first be prepared (watered, fertilized, loosened). You can make V-shaped furrows. Leave approximately 10 cm between rows. Sow seeds to a depth of 1 cm. Sow leeks only when the seeds have swelled. When the shoots appear, they need to be shaded a little from the sun's rays.

In the Moscow region, leeks are first planted in greenhouses. Then the strengthened plants are grown in open ground, providing care. You can plant onions and then winter them. In Siberia, growing and caring for leeks is somewhat different. Seeds are not sown in the ground. It is imperative to grow seedlings, but they should be planted in the ground not in mid-May, but in June, when there is no danger of prolonged frosts. For an adult plant, frost is not a problem. In the fall, you don’t have to rush to harvest. Early ripening varieties are used.

In the Urals, planting and caring for leeks in open ground differ significantly in its different regions: in the Urals you can follow the rules for planting onions, as in the Moscow region, and the Trans-Urals are similar in climatic conditions to Siberia, the growing method there is the same.

Features of care

To obtain high yields from plantings, it is important to know how to grow leeks. It is necessary to follow the rules of watering, fertilizing, and hilling. Leeks do not get along well with weeds. It is necessary to monitor the appearance of pests and diseases and take timely measures. Below is more detail on how to care for leeks after planting.

The main condition for successfully growing vegetables is regular watering (every 4-6 days), you need to irrigate with cold water along the furrows (1 bucket per 1 m2). To retain moisture and prevent weed growth, cover the soil between the beds with straw or peat. Stagnant moisture also negatively affects the development of onions and can lead to plant diseases.

Top dressing

During the entire period of leek growth, it is fed several times with fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, mullein, ash or bird droppings. 2-3 weeks after planting in the ground between the furrows, it is necessary to pour a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 g), potassium salt (15 g) per 10 liters of water. Repeat every 2-3 weeks.

Before hilling, sprinkle with wood ash: 1 tbsp. powder per 1 m 2. Organic fertilizers are also suitable: to dilute mullein, use 1 part organic matter to 8 parts water. A solution of bird droppings is prepared in a ratio of 1:20.

Attention! Nitrogen-containing fertilizers cannot be used. Nitrogen causes leeks to rot.

Watering and hilling

After planting seedlings in the ground or sowing seeds, you should monitor watering and avoid stagnation of water and drying out of the soil. For the first 3 days after planting, the seedlings do not need to be moistened, then watered once every 4-5 days. It is better to water in the furrows and do not wet the plants themselves. Sprinkle the soil with straw, hay, dried manure or peat. This will retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing.

Leeks need to be grown with regular hilling - 4-5 times per season. Thanks to this, the onion stem (leg) becomes white. Loosen the soil every 14 days, be sure to remove weeds.

Diseases and pests

It is not difficult to grow leeks in the countryside; you just need to follow some nuances of sowing, growing, and caring for them. But all efforts may be in vain if plants become infected with viruses, fungi or pests. The main threats to leeks are:

• root mite;
• secretive proboscis;
• onion moth, fly;
• hoverfly;
• nematode;
• peronosporosis;
• neck and bacterial rot;
• green moldy rot.

If a growing leek becomes infected with viruses, fungal diseases, or pests, in most cases the affected plants will have to be removed. To protect plantings, the following rules should be observed:

• using healthy seeds, preferably after 2 years of storage;
• alternate plant crops, sow onions in the same place only after 3 years;
• plant after potatoes, celery, turnips, cabbage, cucumbers;
• Before sowing, scald the seeds with boiling water;
• before planting or during fertilizing, add Zemlin, Bazudin or other products to the soil;
• follow the rules of watering, fertilizing, loosening, hilling;
• if necessary, spray with insecticide;
• you can plant carrots or celery next door;
• alternate beds of celery and leeks;
• harvest the ripe crop on time;
• follow storage rules;
• Completely remove plant debris from the beds.

Harvest and storage

It is advisable not to remove leaves from leeks intended for long-term storage during growth. Ripe onions should be harvested before the temperature drops to -5°C. Dig up the plants, dry them a little, remove lumps of earth with your hands, while trying to prevent the earth from contaminating the green part.

Trim the roots, leaving 1/3. The leaves can also be trimmed, but for long-term storage it is better to leave them long. Next, remove the onions for the winter, sorting out all damaged specimens affected by diseases or pests.

There are several ways to store leeks:

1. Storage in a box (bucket) with sand. Preliminary 30-40 minutes. heat the sand in the oven at 200°C. Before laying the vegetable, lightly moisten the sand, but do not allow it to become wet. Pour 5-7 cm of sand into the box and place the leek stems vertically. Add more sand, covering the entire white part of the stem. Cover with a lid, put in a cool (about 0°C) and damp (80-85%) place - basement, cellar. If the leek will be stored on the balcony, cover the top with a cotton blanket.
2. In a trench on an elevated place. Dig a trench 6-7 cm wide, place leeks in it, cover with earth, cover with boards, leaving small holes. In rain and frost, cover the top with film.
3. In the hole. Dig a hole large enough to hold the entire bow in an upright position. Load the leek and sprinkle with soil. In cold weather, cover the top with dry leaves. It is advisable to place coniferous branches on the hole to repel rodents.
4. Greenhouse. You can place the structure directly above the leek beds. It is better to dig it up first and shorten the roots, this will stop growth and preserve its taste. You need to dig the onion halfway into the ground and assemble a greenhouse on top. The temperature inside must be at least 0°C.
5. Chilled or frozen. Wash whole leek heads, dry them, cut them, put them in a bag, fill them with air, and close them. Shelf life – 1 month. To freeze leeks for the winter, they also need to be washed and dried, chopped, portioned and frozen.
6. Drying onions. Wash the vegetable, dry it, cut it, and leave it for several days at room temperature. It is advisable to cover the top with gauze. Can be dried in the oven for 15 minutes. at 100°C. Store this onion tightly sealed in a cool, dry place.

If you follow all the rules for growing and caring for leeks, they give high yields. The variety of varieties and many ways to preserve the harvest allow you to enrich your diet with tasty and healthy vegetables throughout the year. When using, you must remember that there are contraindications to its use.