Along with other vegetables from open ground, leeks can also be grown indoors for winter consumption. They start digging from the beds just at the end of October - at the beginning of November. But they begin to grow a vegetable for such purposes long before that: in early spring. Let's get acquainted in more detail with agricultural technology and the properties of this crop.
For a leek to become healthier, it needs to lie down
Leek is an amazing vegetable. One of its remarkable properties is the magical ability to increase the content of ascorbic acid in the false bulb during storage. And this is exactly the vitamin, the lack of which a person feels in the winter, and it is especially necessary during the period of seasonal colds.In addition to vitamin C, leeks contain other beneficial vitamins and minerals. First of all, these are potassium salts and essential oils. It is recommended to introduce it into your diet for those who suffer from gout and rheumatism. It improves appetite, at the same time it is useful for obesity. Leek improves the functioning of the liver, and also acts as a diuretic, and is indicated for urolithiasis.
As for taste, it is more tender than onions - a pleasant, slightly spicy one. It is consumed raw in various spring-summer salads. Use as a side dish in stew or boiled form for meat and fish dishes. A false stem of a vegetable can be stuffed with meat stuffing with the addition of cereals - you get original cabbage rolls. Pancakes, mashed soups and many other various delicious dishes are prepared from it.
Growing leeks
The sowing of leeks for seedlings begins in early March. To do this, the containers are stuffed with nutrient soil mixture. Seeds are placed on top and crushed with soil. Shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. Seedling care consists of regular watering. If the seedling is stunted, it should be fed. For this, a fertilizer such as urea is used - approximately 15 g per 1 m2 of sown area. They move to open ground at the age of 60 days. This time falls approximately in the first half of May. And in regions with a warm climate, seeds are sown directly on garden beds.While the seedlings are growing, the site for transplanting needs to be prepared. This place is fertilized with humus. The transplant holes are made about 3-4 cm deep. They are made at a distance of approximately 20 cm from each other.
The best seedlings are selected for planting. The plants removed from the containers are shortened a little - they cut the leaves and roots by about 3-5 cm. After transplanting, the plants should be watered immediately. When the weather is dry outside, a week later, abundant watering is repeated. For 1 square meter of beds, the water consumption will be approximately 40 liters.
Planting care consists in regularly loosening the earth, otherwise you will not get powerful false plant bulbs that will be required in the fall for winter forcing. It is also recommended to fertilize with liquid fertilizers.
Well, for those who wish to enjoy the so-called “bleached” legs in the summer season, one should not forget about the high hilling of plants. Thanks to this technique, the leg not only does not turn green, but also becomes more delicate in taste.
Harvesting for winter rearing is started as late as the weather permits. This can be done in the first decade of November. Onions are carefully dug up with a pitchfork so as not to damage the roots, and they are taken out with a clod of earth. In this form, leeks are transferred to cellars or greenhouses. They need to be insulated. For rearing, these blanks are placed in separate boxes or strong bags. They are set aside in a room where the air temperature is maintained at a level of about + 8 ... + 10 ° С. Lighting should be dim, diffused. Under such conditions, a false stem can double its mass.
And for storage after harvesting, the roots are cut off, the leaves are also cut off. Shelf life in the basement will be about 2-3 months.
Leek is currently distributed in Russian garden plots not as widely and diversely as its onion counterpart. And absolutely in vain. Leek is an incredibly useful product for the human body, which is not recommended to be ignored in the most urgent way.
Description of culture
Leek is a perennial onion, which in practice most gardeners prefer to grow as an annual. The fact is that it is in the year of planting that the plant forms a leg, which is a false bulb, and leaves, for the sake of which, in fact, the culture is grown. As for the foliage, they are eaten only while they are young.
Depending on the growing conditions and varietal characteristics, the height of the onion can vary from 1 to 48 cm, and the stem diameter can vary from 3 to 10 cm.
Leek leaves are most similar to garlic. But they are somewhat wider and longer. In the first year after planting the seeds in the ground, at least 12 leaves are formed.
The culture is stored with cut roots and leaves in cool conditions (cellars, cellars or refrigerators).
In the second year of vegetation, the parel (leek) gives a seed arrow with a spherical corolla (just like garlic). The culture begins to bloom in July. The flowers of the plant resemble a pinkish zat. The seed ripens closer to September.
Important! Leek seeds remain viable for two (sometimes three) years.
Popular varieties
There are not too many varieties of leek, but gardeners still have a certain choice (which leek to plant). Consider the most popular varieties.
Variety Columbus belongs to the early ones. Its maturation occurs on average on the eighty-fifth day after disembarkation. The culture grows up to 80 cm in height, its false stem has a length of up to 13 cm. It is permissible to plant Columbus in almost any Russian region, whether it be Siberia, the Urals, the Moscow Region or the Krasnodar Territory, which is milder in terms of climate. The leek of this species is characterized by frost resistance. This is a very productive variety.
Winner
Another popular onion variety that many people prefer to plant in their garden is Winner. This variety belongs to the middle-season. The usual aging period is 130-160 days from the moment when the planting was carried out. This type of leek is characterized by an average height and low weight (no more than 200 grams per plant). The Winner variety is especially valued for its excellent taste characteristics. It is quite tender, very juicy, with a slight spiciness.
Vesta (West)
Variety Vesta (or Vest) refers to early ripening and is considered one of the best. You can grow a culture in just 120 days. Seed material is planted in March (first in a container), transplanted into open ground after 70 days. The plant requires quite serious care - it should be regularly hilled and fertilized. The leaves of West are distinguished by a light green tint with a noticeable waxy coating. The white stalk can be up to 30 cm long. It tastes sweet and juicy. Vesta belongs to varieties with a high yield.
Goliath is another early variety of leek. Its maturation occurs four months after planting. Stem height is average. The white part (bulb) reaches 30 cm with a width of 60 mm. The average weight of one fully ripe plant cut from the garden is 150 g. The variety is excellent both for fresh consumption and for drying. The yield is high.
elephant
Gardeners speak well of the Elefant variety. This is a medium-early crop that can be removed from the garden on the 130th day after planting. The variety itself is quite large. Individual plants can grow up to 85 centimeters. Onion leaves are very wide, rich green with a bluish bloom. The weight of one plant is about two hundred grams.
Elefant is characterized by a high yield.
Karantansky
The leek variety Karantansky refers to late-ripening. This useful product matures in an average of 150-200 days. Moreover, fresh greens, which will decorate almost any salad recipe, can be collected before the first frost. Preparation for harvesting onions can begin as early as September. At the same time, the mass harvest is carried out throughout October. The mass of the plant varies from 200 to 325 grams.
Leek variety Summer Breeze is another of the most popular late-ripening types of crops. It is characterized by wide and spreading green leaves with a characteristic waxy coating. The mass of one plant after ripening varies from 200 to 340 g. At the same time, its height can reach one meter.
In cooking, the culture is used fresh, dried and processed. Especially recommended for freezing for the winter.
Important! Each gardener decides for himself which variety of leek to cultivate. But many prefer the seed material of the Aelit agricultural farm.
Useful properties and contraindications
Knowing everything about a leek is not only about knowing how to properly seed it, how seedlings are grown, or how to soar and freeze it for the winter. It is equally important to understand what the benefits of culture are.
Leek is a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, carotene, as well as salts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus, and, moreover, in a fairly tangible amount.
Interesting. Leek has one amazing property that other vegetables do not have. The content of ascorbic acid in the white stem does not decrease during storage, but increases, and more than one and a half times.
The benefits of leek when used regularly in food are as follows:
- restoration of impaired digestion (coarse fibers contained in the plant improve the functioning of peristalsis);
- getting rid of inflammation (as a complex therapy);
- reducing the risk of cancerous tumors (and slowing down the growth of those identified);
- the fight against anemia (due to the content of iron in the composition);
- lowering blood pressure;
- fight against atherosclerosis (onion stalk fibers act as an oxidizing agent);
- prevention of SARS (due to the presence of essential oils in the composition).
The cosmetic benefits of leeks are no less important. Helping appearance does not consist in applying green masks or rinsing the head with an infusion from the root of the plant, but in regular consumption of the product. The fact is that ascorbic acid, contained in large quantities in culture, improves the synthesis of collagen fibers, of which at least half of the human body consists.
As an experiment, experts in the field of cosmetology suggest that their clients eat at least one serving of leek salad and evaluate how the skin will look after a month. And it will differ very significantly, and without the use of expensive creams. With the help of leeks, the body will be able to produce the required amount of collagen on its own.
Previously, it was believed that the harm of leeks can only occur if they are regularly abused. But not so long ago, experiments have shown that the plant can be detrimental to health in a number of other cases.
Most often we are talking about the following situations:
- with individual intolerance to nickel, the content of which is high in leaves and stems;
- increased acidity;
- when breastfeeding (may spoil the taste of milk);
- with diarrhea (the culture can aggravate the existing problem);
- in case of urolithiasis during an exacerbation.
And yet, leeks are more useful than harmful. It is enough just to closely monitor the state of your health, know your diseases and not abuse the product.
Pests and diseases
The onion fly poses the greatest danger to leek plantings. In this regard, it is strongly recommended to plant different onion crops as far as possible from one another, and sow in early spring.
Important! The onion fly is repelled by the smell of carrots, so it is recommended to plant it in a garden adjacent to a leek.
Spraying at the beginning of the growing season with insecticides will also be effective: Vantex or Connect
The second treatment will need to be done in the summer - in July, when the next generation of flies appears.
onion leaf
Onion psyllid can infect not only onions, but also other vegetables, so the fight against this pest should begin immediately after the first symptoms appear. This insect feeds on plants and spreads viral diseases.
Powdery mildew is a disease that affects many garden plants. And leek is no exception to the general rule. With this disease, a white coating appears on the foliage. The leaves are gradually dying off. The disease develops especially actively in dry and hot summers.
To protect the plant, do not plant leeks in the same place two years in a row. Return to the previously used landing site is allowed only after a year.
Alternariosis
Another problem that leek growers often face is alternariosis. The disease causes the most significant damage in warm rainy weather. In addition, plants that are already affected by other pathologies are susceptible to diseases: fusarium or powdery mildew. Nitrogen fertilizers in large quantities can also contribute to the infection of the plant.
Disease control is most effective with the same fungicides used on onions. We are talking about the drugs Signum, Kurtaz or Quadris. Seeds before planting will not be superfluous to treat with a tool like Inshur Profi.
If there is a real threat of the spread of bacterial diseases, you should additionally use drugs that include copper (for example, Horde).
But the most important thing in the prevention of any disease is to observe agricultural technology and provide the plant with proper care. The result of caring for leeks will be an excellent crop crop. It can be eaten fresh and stored for the winter, when the body especially needs vitamins and nutrients.
Leek is one of the vegetable crops that has been known since ancient times. Today, this type of onion is distributed almost all over the world. Especially a lot of it is grown by vegetable growers in Western Europe and America. And although growing leeks does not cause any particular difficulties, few of the gardeners I know have it on their plots, believing that its beneficial properties are no better than ordinary onions. But it's not.
In Belgium, for example, 10 kg of leeks are grown per capita per year, in France - 6 kg, in Norway, Finland - 3-4 kg each. It is also grown in Russia, but the volume of cultivation is very limited compared to Europe.
In the Kuban, unfortunately, the leek has not yet found much recognition. Even among lovers of exotic plants, it can be found very rarely. But in vain! After all, this type of onion is superior to the widespread onion in many respects. It is more productive than onion. With normal care, you can easily get 400-500 kg / ha (4-5 kg per 1 sq. M).
Leek is not affected by peronosporosis (powdery mildew). Onions, especially in wet years, are strongly affected by downy mildew, which reduces the yield - such onions are poorly stored.
Leeks do not form true bulbs like onions do. For food, they use the lower bleached part before the branching of the leaves, which is called the leg or false bulb.
European cuisine makes extensive use of leeks in soups, stews, and also fresh. It is a good source of dietary fiber. One hundred grams of onion contains only 125 calories.
Useful properties of leeks
A leek contains 10-12 times more vitamin C than an onion bulb. In addition, its leaves contain 13-15% dry matter, so it can be stored with leaves in winter. If all vegetables and fruits lose nutrients during storage in winter, spending them on respiration and other life processes, then leek is the only vegetable crop that increases the percentage of nutrients during storage, keeping them in a snow-white leg due to their outflow from the leaves.
So, when laying a leek for storage, the leg contained 50-60 mg% of vitamin C, and after 3-4 months of storage it became 60-70 mg%. That is, it has increased.
Leek is a cold hardy plant. Its leaves withstand frosts down to -7-8 °, and therefore in the Kuban it can be used for food from open ground until late autumn (November-December) or early spring, as soon as the soil thaws. Thus, using leeks from open ground, from storage sites, you can make up for the lack of vitamin C in early spring, when there is an acute lack of it. Have you ever wanted to start growing leeks?
Leek is distinguished by a high content of salts of potassium, calcium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, vitamins C, B 1, B 2, E, PP, carotene. This plant contains an essential oil, which includes sulfur, which determines the specific aroma and peculiar taste of this dietary vegetable.
Due to the high content of sugars (3.7-7.7%) - glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose - the leek has a sweetish taste. Onion essential oil does not irritate the respiratory system, does not leave a heavy onion smell after eating. Therefore, some gourmets call the leek a noble onion, because after eating it, you are not ashamed to go to the theater, cinema, or concert.
The presence (up to 260 mg%) of potassium salts stimulates the activity of the kidneys and helps to remove fluid from the human body. Due to the favorable ratio of mineral salts, vitamins, enzymes, the use of leek increases the secretory function of the glands of the digestive tract, improves liver function, increases appetite, helps in the treatment of kidney stones, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, obesity, physical and mental overwork.
Leek contains a unique combination of flavonoids, sulfur-containing substances.
Ancient physicians highly valued its healing properties. Thus, the ancient Roman physician Amidovlat Amasiatsi writes the following: “Leek has welding and opening properties. Stops nose bleeding, opens blockage of the liver, arising from mucus. Increases male power during sexual potency and makes the seed abundant. But it is harmful to people with a hot nature.
Distinctive features of leeks as plants
This is a perennial plant with a two-year development cycle. In appearance, it is similar to broad-leaved garlic. In the first year after sowing, the leek forms a rosette of leaves and a food organ - an elongated stem (leg) of light green or white color. The height of the stem depends on the variety and can vary from 10 to 80 cm, with a diameter of 2-7 cm. The length, width of the leaves, their number depends on both the growing conditions and the variety. The length of its leaves ranges from 25 to 60 cm, and the width is from 3 to 10 cm.
Usually leek, when grown in the Kuban, forms 10-15 leaves. Leaves grow from the central point of growth. Passing, like garlic, inside the tubular bases, they form a dense stem - a leg. The leaves depart from the false stem in the same plane fan-shaped. The average weight of one plant is 200-300 g.
leek blossoms In the second year of life, after overwintering in the ground or storage of mother plants, planting them in the field, the leek forms a tall straight peduncle with a spherical umbrella. The number of flowers can reach a thousand pieces. The color of the corolla of the flower can be from white to dark purple. It usually blooms in July-August, the seeds ripen in late September-October. The seeds are smaller than those of the onion.
At the base of the peduncles, sighting bulbs of a silvery-white color (the so-called pearl bow) are formed. From such bulbs planted in the ground, plants are again formed - the same as in the first year when growing leeks from seeds.
The whole variety of varieties, forms of leeks that can be grown in the Kuban is divided into two groups: North European and South European. We have zoned two varieties of the North European group in the Krasnodar Territory - Karantansky, Sizokryl. They are distinguished by a relatively short growing season (autumn forms). They are characterized by a thick short (15-20 cm) stem with a compact fan arrangement of green or gray-green leaves with a strong wax coating.
These varieties of leeks keep well in winter in storage or in the refrigerator. In the Kuban, they also winter well in the open field. They can be harvested as needed in late fall and early spring, once the soil has thawed. When hilling in autumn to the leaves, the plants withstand frosts down to -20 °.
The South European group (often called the Bulgarian group) includes varieties with a high false stem (leg) - up to 60-70 cm, cylindrical in shape. The total height of the above-ground part of the plant reaches 1.5 meters. Their leaves are narrow, light green in color, the wax coating is weak or completely absent. The leaves are arranged loosely, that is, there are gaps between the next leaves on the false stem. Leek varieties of this group are not winter-hardy. In the Kuban, they are grown as an annual crop, harvested in the fall, before frost. We have a well-known variety - Bulgarian.
How to grow leeks
This is not only a cold-resistant plant, but very demanding on moisture and soil fertility. It responds very well to the application of mineral, especially organic fertilizers. Since the leek does not have a dormant period, and the vegetative mass grows until late autumn, water consumption is especially high in autumn. The optimal soil moisture should be at least 70-75% of the FPV (maximum field capacity). Irregular watering, drying out of the soil are unacceptable when growing leeks.
Unlike onion, on the site allotted for planting, growing leeks, for plowing (digging), 100-120 tons of manure or 40-50 tons of humus are applied per 1 hectare, or, respectively, per 1 sq. m - 10-12 kg of manure or 4-5 kg of humus.
In addition to organic, mineral fertilizers are applied: 3-4 q of phosphorus, 2-3 q of potash, 1.5-2 q of nitrogen per 1 hectare, or, respectively, 40, 30, and 20 g per 1 sq. km. m.
When applying mineral fertilizers, you need to know that although increased doses of nitrogen fertilizers increase the yield, they reduce the keeping quality during storage - plants overwinter worse in the ground.
Leeks can be propagated vegetatively as well as by seeds. With vegetative propagation, sighting bulbs (pearls) or air ones, like multi-tiered onions, which are sometimes formed when growing seeds, can be planted. With seed propagation, you can grow seedlings or directly sow seeds in the ground. The seedling method of planting is used when they want to get a crop of leeks earlier. Or in the north of Russia, when commercial plants do not have time to form from seeds sown in the ground by autumn.
Seedlings are grown in greenhouses, greenhouses, under temporary film shelters. When growing seedlings in greenhouses and greenhouses, the age of seedlings should be 60-70 days (2-3 true leaves should be formed).
Sowing seeds is carried out in the first decade of February. Leek seeds swell for a long time, which is why its shoots appear when sown with dry seeds later than other types of onions. Therefore, it is desirable to carry out sowing with seedlings, then seedlings appear after 6-8 days.
For 1 sq. m sown 12-15 g of seeds. Until the emergence of seedlings, the temperature is maintained at 20-25 degrees, and then reduced during the day to 18-20, at night to 10-12 degrees.
During the cultivation of seedlings, it is fed 2 times at the rate of 20 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride per 30-40 g of superphosphate. Since superphosphate is difficult to dissolve, an extract is made 3-4 days before feeding. Temperature-light hardening is carried out 7-10 days before planting.
And 1-2 days before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly so that the root system is better preserved when sampling from the soil of a greenhouse or greenhouse. At the selected seedlings, the leaves are cut off by 1/3-1/2. Seedlings are planted 1.5-2 cm deeper than they grew in the greenhouse.
Planting patterns for seedlings when growing leeks can be different, but the row spacing should be at least 40-50 cm, since hilling is necessary to obtain a tender bleached leg. The distance between plants is 10-15 cm.
To get a crop of leeks for autumn consumption and winter storage, sowing seeds should be carried out in early spring at the first opportunity to enter the site. If sowing is carried out with a seeder, then the best growing scheme is a three-row tape (40 + 40 +60) : 3, or a single row by 45 cm, as well as a two-row tape (50 + 20) : 2. Seeding rate 6-7 kg per 1 ha. During the formation of 2-3 true leaves, a breakthrough of 5-7 cm is carried out. According to our data, with such a sowing scheme, you can get a high yield with good commercial qualities.
Leeks can be sown in the summer - through July. By autumn, the plants will have 4-6 leaves, the stem diameter is 0.7-1.2 cm. Pre-buried with earth, the leek overwinters well. The following year, in May-June, you can harvest.
Leek care consists of weeding, regular watering and loosening row spacing. In the second half of the growing season, it must be spudded 1-2 times. This event will allow you to get a long, delicate, well-bleached leg.
Plants in the first period of life develop very slowly. Therefore, it can be sown together with more early-ripening crops (radishes, lettuce, watercress, etc.). Well justify themselves, for example, seed mixture of leeks with onions. For 1 sq. m sown a mixture (1 g of seeds) of leeks and early varieties (Apogee, Early yellow).
At the end of July, onions are harvested for greens. The leek, which has been growing relatively slowly up to this time, receives a sufficient area of nutrition, and, therefore, begins to develop intensively.
Leek storage
It is laid for storage both for food purposes, as well as mother plants, for obtaining seeds. In the Kuban, November can be considered the optimal harvesting time. Plants are dug up with a shovel or pitchfork, shake off the ground from the roots, put in boxes.
It is desirable that during the performance of these works, soil particles do not fall between the leaves. Damaged, dirty leaves are removed from the collected plants, the roots are cut, leaving them 1-1.5 cm long.
Leek can be stored in a vegetable store, basement or refrigerator. When stored in a vegetable store or basement, the plants are placed in rows close to each other in boxes at an angle of 50-60 degrees, layering each row with wet sand with a layer of 4-5 cm.
When stored in a refrigerator, healthy leek plants are carefully selected, cooled to storage temperature, then packed in plastic bags of 5-7 pieces (1-1.5 kg). Store at temperatures from minus 1 to plus 1 degrees. At this temperature, the development of putrefactive microorganisms is delayed, the processes of respiration and evaporation of moisture proceed slowly.
If you put uncooled plants in plastic bags, then when the temperature drops, drops of condensate will appear on the inner surface, and this is a favorable environment for the development of diseases.
For a short time, leeks can be stored on the balcony, preventing the temperature from dropping below 4-5 degrees below zero. But even if the plants are frozen, they are still suitable for cooking.
Leek can be used to cook many dishes. It is a great addition to any meal. See how easy it is to decorate any leek salad.
Leek (Allium porrum) - a perennial plant with a two-year development cycle, frost-resistant (winter under snow, withstands up to -15 ° C), moisture-loving, demanding on light and fertility. It forms single false bulbs (“legs” with a diameter of 3-7 and a height of 20-50 cm), the leaves are band-like. Grow in 40-45 day potted seedlings with 3 true leaves (sowing March 15-20, do not dive), planted in early - mid-May according to a 40 x 25 cm pattern in furrows, which are poured as they grow to increase the bleached part. Harvested at the end of September, stored in a cellar at a temperature of - 1 .... + 2 o C. The taste is delicate, slightly spicy, with a pleasant aroma.
Late - lacks a growing season (170 - 200 days), less yield and less leg (unlike other crops).
Broad blue-green leaves often with a waxy coating are located very tight and depart from the false stem at almost a right angle, the plants seem low. They have a thick, dense leg (18-20 cm).
Mid-season (150-170 days) — Karantansky, Elephant Jolant, Pandora, Kyavar. (via 70-day seedling, sowing in March). Leg - only 20-25 cm, weight 200 g, yield up to 3 kg per 1 sq.m. In terms of yield, they are inferior to early ones, but they are superior in quality. This group includes varieties
Early (up to 140 days) - Kilim, Vesta, Joland (after 30-45 day seedlings) - high leg (up to 50 cm), diameter up to 3 cm. Leaves are rarely located, at an acute angle.
Vesta, Lincoln, Bulgarian giant (5 kg) and 4 kg grade Kilim.
Grow through seedlings (60 days old). Soak the seeds for 30 minutes in warm water (50 ° C), and then leave at room temperature for 2-3 days, changing the water. Sowing depth - 1 cm, 3-4 seeds per pot, at a distance of 2-3 cm. Also plant in open ground in groups.
- Sowing - in March, planted in the ground at the end of May. The plants are small, can be sown densely, a feeding area of 3-4 sq.cm is sufficient. Leek seedlings do not stretch due to the shortened bottom stem and can be grown on a podium nnike and ostek flax loggia. With the onset of warm days at the end of April - in the greenhouse, they withstand light frosts.
- In the second half of April, you can sow leeks in greenhouses, warming them. Seedlings will be ready by June 15th.
Seedlings of cold-resistant crops are grown at a temperature not higher than 17-18 ° C during the day, 14-15 ° C at night. The place is bright, seedlings appear on the 12-18th day after sowing with dry seeds and twice as fast when sowing wet. From germination to the appearance of the first leaf - 10-15 days.
Watering seedlings - moderate, but regular, avoiding the accumulation of water in pans or overdrying. From a lack of moisture and high temperature, the tips of the onion leaves turn irreversibly yellow, after planting in the ground, they do not form large bulbs.
Top dressing - any complex fertilizer with microelements, the first time - a month after germination, then once every 10-15 days (2 g per 1 liter of water). If the plants are too stretched, lower the temperature and periodically spray with clean water.
A good leek seedling should have three leaves (the first cotyledon dries up), a height of about 25 cm, a false stem 3 mm thick. At
Leek is very whimsical. A full crop can be obtained in an unshaded, well-drained, richly flavored with organic matter, deeply cultivated area.
Leek is planted in grooves with a depth of 10-15 cm according to the scheme 10-15 × 50-70 cm. 15-20 plants per 1 m 2. After planting the furrows, we fall asleep with humus.
Watering - according to the weather (up to harvesting), top dressing, weeding, loosening and hilling. Apply NPK according to the active substance 2:1:3 (200 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of double superphosphate and 100 g of potassium chloride). We apply one third of the fertilizer before planting, the rest - in two top dressings.
Leek keeps well until December, if they are dug in the basement or on the loggia and grown at a temperature of 4-6 ° C;
NEW mid-early Bastion, Casimir, Tango and one kind
early ripe - Goliath.
Bastion. Ripens in 150 days. The plant is of medium height, but the length of the “leg” with good hilling reaches 30 cm, and the diameter is up to 5 cm. Such a modified head weighs up to 220 g.
Goliath. Ripens in 130 days. The bleached leg weighs less than that of Bastion - 150-200 g, but it also ripens 20 days earlier. The height of the leg is up to 28 cm, but it is thicker - up to 6 cm in diameter.
Tango. Ripens at the same time as Bastion. The leg is shorter - up to 12 cm, but plump - up to 5 cm in diameter. This variety has its advantages: all plants are leveled, the crop can be harvested immediately. But the main advantage of the Tango variety is a higher frost resistance, you can plant seedlings earlier in open ground, and harvest earlier.
Perennial edible onions:
Near fences, dense hedges, bows look good: oblique, fragrant, slime. They can be grown individually or in combination with other flower crops.
Bow oblique - mountain garlic - early ripening, grows very early in spring, grows quickly, good honey plant. Height up to 1.5 m, blooms in July for up to 2 weeks, leaves are wide, flat, inflorescences look like yellow hairy balls. Leaves and bulbs are used for food. Seeds are sown before winter (germination rate is high) or in spring. Prefers sunny areas, drought tolerant.
Allium fragrant differs in fragrant openwork flowers (petals are white with a green or light purple vein). The leaves are narrow-linear, flat, dark green until frost. Peduncle - up to 60 cm. Blooms from late July to September. The peculiarity is the uneven age of shoots, inflorescences, flowers: on the same plant, newly appeared peduncles with inflorescences in covers, flowering arrows adjoin. And in the inflorescence itself: unblown buds, blossoming petals, flowers, elegant dark boxes with ripe seeds.
Onion slime grows on scree, the leaves are different flat (may be twisted, spirally curved), bright. The bush is powerful, peduncles 40-60 cm and up to 1m. They can be planted on hills. Inflorescence spherical, dark pink. Slime blooms in July-August. Leaves can be used all summer.
Schnitt - chisel, speed. Several varieties: European (huge bush, blooms in June), Siberian and Ledebour (compact, bloom later). Peduncles numerous, low -30-40 cm Flowers bright pink, purple. Schnitts are unpretentious, winter-hardy and cold-resistant, grow quickly, without suffering from weeds. Of these, they are used for borders.
Cheremsha - wild-growing perennial onion with a garlic smell, plants live up to 10 years. In Russia, there are 2 related species: victorious onion (common in Siberia, the Far East, has an oblique rhizome on which bulbs develop) and bear onion (European wild garlic, forms 1 white bulb without skin and rhizome). Blossom - in June-July, the seeds ripen in early September. Propagated by dividing bulbs and seeds, which are sown in autumn or spring after stratification (up to 100 days).
Ramson shade-tolerant, prefers slightly acidic marshy soils. They are planted under trees, bushes. In the spring, when the leaves have not yet blossomed, under them bright lawns of wild garlic stand out with green wide leaves, similar to lily of the valley leaves. Care consists in the optimal formation of the nest - no more than 6-7 pieces. bulbs.
Altai onion - stone batun - very effective. Leaves are fistulate, powerful.
Unlike winter spring garlic is very demanding to growing conditions. The slightest non-compliance with agricultural technology leads to a sharp decrease in yield and even to the death of crops. The best way - 6 months to store at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, 10-20 days before planting - at a temperature of + 2-5°C. This cold storage period is used for root germination. It is necessary to plant sprouted teeth at the end of April in moist soil to a depth of 5-7 cm with a distance between rows of 25-30 cm, in a row - 4-6 cm.
Depending on the leek variety and growing conditions, the false stem reaches from 10 to 35 cm in length and up to 10 cm in diameter. The leaves are flat, linear, similar in appearance to garlic leaves, but much larger (35-70 cm long and 3-7 cm wide). Leaf color is light to dark green.
Growing leeks
This is a plant with long growing season(up to 7 months), so leeks are often grown. Leek seeds for seedlings are sown in March, since by the time of planting it should be 50-60 days old. The containers are filled with a nutrient mixture and well spilled with water on the eve of planting. Sow with dry seeds, placing rows at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. The seeding depth is 0.7-1.2 cm. After sowing, the leek seeds are sprinkled with a dry mixture, slightly compacted and watered, then the containers are covered with glass or film and placed in a dark place. Before the emergence of seedlings, the temperature is maintained at a level of 20-25 ° C, and after their emergence, it is reduced by 3-4 days to 8-12 ° C at night.
Our advice:
Make sure that the soil during the period of seedling growth is not dry, but waterlogging should not be allowed.
Leek Care
Seedlings are planted in open ground from about May 5 to May 15, 25-30 plants per 1 m 2. In order for leek seedlings to take root better, the roots are shortened by 1/4, and the leaves by 1/3 of the length. Plants are buried to the first leaf. Leeks can be sown in the summer, until July. By autumn, the plants will be able to form 4-6 leaves. Heaped with earth, they overwinter well and the next year in May-June, you can harvest.
Leek care during the growing season is the same as for all onions - weeding, loosening the soil, watering as needed. Leek responds well to top dressing. On poor soils, 1-2 feedings with mullein (1:8) can be carried out. During the growing season, 2-3 hilling of plants is carried out. In hilled plants, the false stem becomes longer and has a more delicate taste. In leeks, the growth of leaves goes until late autumn. Mature plants are frost-resistant, tolerate frosts down to -7 °C.
Leek storage
Harvest pearl leeks before frost. Plants are cleaned of damaged and dirty leaves, left for a short time in the air to dry, the roots are cut to 1 cm and a third of the length of the leaves. Leek is stored in a cellar in moist sand at a temperature of 0-2 ° C or in a refrigerator.