Description
Leek 'Musselburgh' is a popular and reliable winter hardy variety which produces medium sized thick white stems with an excellent mild flavour and tender texture. Its winter hardiness enables it to be left in the ground throughout winter giving you a crop when there is little else to harvest. It also has good resistance to bolting and problematic leek rust.
| When to sow | From February indoors or from April outdoors. |
| Where to Sow | Sow seed indoors ( at 10-15°C/50-60°F) in moist compost filled trays or modules, 1.5cm (3/4in) deep, with 3 -4 seeds per module. |
| Sow seed direct, thinly, in a prepared bed, 1.5cm (3/4in) deep in drills which are 30cm apart. | |
| Leeks prefer a sunny, sheltered site with fertile and well-drained soil, ideally with a pH or 6.5 to 7.5. | |
| What to do Next | When seedlings grown indoors are large enough to handle, transplant to individual pots and grow on indoors or in a greenhouse until April. |
| In April /May, when the seedlings sown indoors and outdoors are roughly the diameter of a pencil, transplant into their final growing position ensuring you harden off indoor sown seedlings for 7 days prior to planting out. | |
| Using a dibber, make a 15cm (6in) deep hole which are 23cm (9in) apart. Place a seedling in the centre and back fill the hole with water (not soil) to encourage blanching. This known as 'dibbing in' the leeks. | |
| Once the hole around the leek has filled up, gently firm up the soil above ground level to increase blanching. Be careful not to get the soil between the leaves. | |
| Water well, especially during periods of dry weather, and keep weed free. | |
| Harvest | August through to March. |
| Handy Tips | To ensure a long harvest start lifting the leeks when they are quite small. |
| Leeks can be left in the ground during winter until they are required | |
| When harvesting be careful not to damage the roots of nearby leeks which you are not harvesting. Work the stem and root upwards with a fork and gently pat the soil back in place. | |
| Companion Planting | Good Companions : beetroot, carrot, celery, garlic, onion, parsley, tomato |
| Bad Companions : Beans and peas | |
| Nutritional Information | High in folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. |
| Serving Suggestion | Leeks can be steamed or boiled, braised in a cheese sauce and used in soups and stews. They are a great milder alternative to onions and go well in pies with fish and chicken. |
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.