Growing leeks in summer cottages, planting and care
When to plant leeks outdoors depends on the specific region and the expected harvest time. To get a good harvest, it is enough to follow a few simple tips and this vegetable will always delight you with its germination.
Leeks are a wonderful vegetable, without which it is difficult to imagine any European cuisine. In addition to excellent taste, leeks also have a number of useful properties that are successfully used in modern dietetics. The writer Anatole France in one of his stories called the leek "Asparagus for the poor." Indeed, many dishes in which leek replaces asparagus are in no way inferior to the original in taste, and sometimes even improve them. In England, this type of onion is used not only for gastronomic purposes, but also as a fertilizer. If you leave a powerful onion root system in the ground, then in the future it will enrich the earth with organic substances. And in Wales, his image flaunts on the 1 pound coin.
Landing
Planting leeks outdoors begins with preparing seeds and seedlings.
The choice of the method of sowing seeds or planting seedlings depends on the climatic conditions. Planting leeks in open ground with seeds requires a comfortable and warm environment. If your climatic zone is characterized by long winters and spring frosts, then this option will not work. If the seeds still take root and sprout, as a result, you can get thin and weak stems, not much like leeks.
Seed preparation consists in soaking in warm water (room temperature 20-250C) for a day and further drying until a bulk material is obtained.
To obtain seedlings, leeks are planted in small boxes with pre-prepared soil. The sowing density can be any, but in order not to dive onions in the future, 2 g of seeds are enough for 1 box with dimensions of 35x50 cm. Before planting, it is advisable to temper the finished seedlings a little, for this it is enough to take them outside for 2 days in a place protected from the wind.
The vegetative period of the leek is quite long 60-70 days. And the time to plant seeds depends on your climate. To know, for example, when to plant leeks in the ground in Siberia, you need to approximately know the period of the onset of spring and start from it, counting 60-70 days for seedlings to ripen. Leek is considered a frost-resistant plant, but young shoots may not survive the arrival of cold weather.
For the Siberian region, planting is possible exclusively by the seedling method.
When to plant leeks in the suburbs depends on the desired harvest period. Typically, seeds are planted 70 days before planting in open ground, this is mid to late February. Then, in the first half of May, from 5 to 15, seedlings are planted in open ground. For better survival, the stems and root of the plant must be shortened by 1/3. Harvesting takes place from mid to late October.
Leeks in the Urals are planted in the ground as well as in Siberia, by the seedling method. Leek is a biennial plant and roots left in the second year are able to withstand even severe frosts.
Care
Leeks outdoors require little maintenance. It consists of:
- Watering. To obtain the best yield, it is advisable to water the vegetable during a period of prolonged drought and high temperatures.
- Loosening the soil and removing weeds. Periodically, between plants, it is necessary to remove all weeds and loosen the soil, this procedure can be repeated until the moment when the onion stalk is no longer possible to kill the weeds.
- Mulching... To retain moisture in the soil and, if possible, prevent the appearance of weeds, mulching is practiced using plant tops or peat.
- Hilling. Hilling leeks in mid-summer will result in most of the bleached stalk used in cooking.
- Top dressing. To get really large stems, the leek must be fed at least 3 times during the growing season.
As for pests, leeks are susceptible to onion flies. To combat this pest, it is enough to plant carrots between the beds or sprinkle the onion beds with tobacco. This combination of smells repels onion flies. You can also periodically spray the beds with onions with infusions with strong and pungent odors, for example, needles, mint or wormwood.
A signal about the appearance of a pest in the garden is the appearance of dry leaves.
Storage
Leek lends itself well to storage and at the same time absolutely does not lose its useful properties.
There are several ways to store onions:
- to freeze;
- dry;
- dig in with river sand;
- pickle.
By sticking to the recommended planting dates and taking proper care of the leeks, you can provide your family with a healthy vegetable for the whole year.
Read also the article: how to plant onion sets in open ground!