Comments on: Leeks: A Good Vegetable for Northern Gardens

By: Ann Travers

Ann Travers — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:27:46 +0000

I’ve been celebrating leeks at this time of year as well. Just love them. Thank you Kathy for the excellent informative post here. Will print it out for reference.

I have a couple postings on my leeks (link above) but nothing as thorough. This is very helpful. And I’ll definitely try the chowder recipe with 3 of the precious few remaining. Sounds delicious.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:25:33 +0000

Hi Kathy and thanks (again!) for the inspiration. With all winter to plan for next year’s veggie garden, leeks are going on the list for sure. I grew them once in Austin. I think I even have a picture, since I planted them next to an old metal tractor seat that I found, and they looked very sculptural together
It always makes me mad to have to pay for leeks by the pound in the shop, when you can’t use most of what they sell you–the greens. I don’t make my own stock, but I’ll remember that for the next time I get the urge to try.
Along with leeks, I want to do a lot of shallots. They are the best!

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:32:34 +0000

Truly, Frances, I am perplexed. I have never heard of leeks not growing. At least you are in good company. Anne Raver can’t grow them either.

By: Frances

Frances — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:22:37 +0000

Hi Kathy, you have made a fine restaurant entry, I will take a bowl of the soup du jour. I tried leeks this year, starting them in the greenhouse in winter, like th onions, and like the onions they are still so very small. I even put them in a raised bed filled with good soil and compost. They look like green hairs! Any ideas other than too warm of a summer? I am leaving them, maybe they will grow into something edible at some point.
Frances

By: Vertie

Vertie — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:23:17 +0000

Great timing on this post for me! I had just picked up some leek starters. Based on your tweet, I ended up separating them into individual plants. I’m not exactly sure why the nursery sold them in a clump.

Oh well, should be a good experiment.

By: Martha/All the Dirt on Gardening

Martha/All the Dirt on Gardening — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:57:21 +0000

This year I had some success growing leeks from seed and was thrilled with the result.

We don’t have a large vegetable garden so I planted the little baby leeks all around the inside of the garden fence. It is sitll 80-degrees here so we have only harvested a few for specific recipes.

Thanks for reminding me to start seeds again in mid-Feb.
Great post.

By: jh

jh — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:10:21 +0000

Leeks are great. I also have started to collect kale and chard from my autumn garden and planted my garlic last week. I love when people come over and are astounded that I am still gardening in November in Colorado jh bodanutrition

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:36:04 +0000

Kate, some people do harvest them before frost, using them as baby leeks. The flavor is much milder then, so they are used differently in recipes. I’d probably try some that way if I needed to thin them for some reason.

By: kate

kate — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:57:40 +0000

This was a helpful post to read. I grew leeks two years ago and wondered why they didn’t do better. I didn’t plant them deep enough and also pulled them before our first frost. Now I’ll know better. I love using leeks to make soup but also use them in quiche and chicken stew.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:02:31 +0000

Hi, Beverly. There is a point where the time it takes stripping the leaves as you do overtakes my willingness to spend time to save money. However, those tops are a wonderful addition to a stock pot, where their toughness is not a problem.