Gardening Edible Gardening Vegetable Gardening Leek By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Leek Overview Description Leeks are like delicate onions. They add their rich but subtle flavor to everything from creamy sauces to soups and stews. They're a must for any food enthusiast's garden.Plant leek seeds directly in the garden a month before the last frost date, or start them indoors and transplant outside at the time of the average last frost. Mound soil around stems to exclude light and produce long white shanks. This frost-hardy plant can be harvested long after many other garden vegetables. Genus Name Allium porrum Common Name Leek Plant Type Vegetable Light Sun Height 6 to 12 inches Width 1 to 2 inches Propagation Seed Harvest Tips Begin harvesting leeks when the stem is at least 1/2 inch in diameter. In mild-winter regions, overwinter leeks in the garden and continue harvesting in spring. In cold areas, mulch with 4-6 inches of straw to protect overwintering plants. More varieties for Leek 'Giant Musselburgh' leek Allium porrum 'Giant Musselburgh' is a Scottish heirloom variety that produces 2- to 3-inch-thick stems. It is exceptionally cold tolerant and matures in 100 days. 'King Richard' leek Allium porrum 'King Richard' is a tall, thin variety that matures just 75 days after transplanting. Get weeds under control in your vegetable garden More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit