Many salads wouldn't taste as thin without an ingredient like leeks. Thanks to its excellent gastronomic qualities and rich vitamin composition, the plant is grown by many gardeners. An annual culture native to the Mediterranean, it has unusual greenish-blue feathers with a characteristic aroma. The lack of pungency and a sweetish taste make the variety an aromatic spice.
When to plant leeks
Due to the long growing season (about six months) and the peculiarities of the climate of central Russia, it is better to grow leeks using seedlings. It is sown in the second half of February or early March into prepared boxes, pots or cups.
To obtain seedlings, irrigation and temperature conditions must be observed. If you sow seeds in open ground, you may not wait for the harvest due to the death of the plant due to frost and snow (the danger of freezing exists both in spring and autumn). Some gardeners practice the cultivation of leeks for greens, which are harvested in July.
One way to plant onions is by sowing seeds in late autumn (usually November). It is important to make sure that the weather forecasts are not warm, this will provoke quick shoots.
Seeding in the beds can be done in greenhouse conditions or using cultivation technology under agrofibre.
Planting seeds for growing seedlings at home
Proper soil and seed preparation
Used to plant seeds a mixture of sod and compost soil with the addition of humus... Leek loves nutritious and light soil; in a dense substrate, seeds may not sprout.
When using a peat base, you should not forget to feed with any additives:
- dolomite flour;
- urea;
- double superphosphate;
- potassium sulfate.
Spring sowing is usually done in March to get the onions by September. The timing and scheme of planting and sowing can be adjusted depending on the time of harvest.
How to plant seeds
Before planting, seeds soaked at home in water at room temperature and kept for a day, after which they are dried.
Another preparation option involves keeping the seeds in a thermos with water (40 degrees) for 2-4 hours followed by rinsing under a cool shower and drying. Boxes 35 x 50 cm are used as containers.
The seed consumption for such a container is 2-3 grams... After filling the container, the soil surface is covered with a 3-5 mm layer of sand and moistened.
Before shoots appear, the box must be covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect.
To obtain good germination of planting, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Among the main ones:
- correct temperature regime within 22 degrees before germination;
- temperature adjustment after germination (in the daytime up to 18-20 degrees, at night up to 8-14 degrees);
- watering heated water;
- provide good illumination for photosynthesis.
Pick and hardening
It is better to grow seedlings of culture without picking, do not need to be seated in separate containers. Seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground after reaching the age of 2-2.5 months.
For 6-7 weeks after the emergence of shoots, seedlings need temper... To do this, boxes or pots should be taken outside and left in partial shade for several hours, gradually increasing the time spent in the air. In strong wind, air procedures are not recommended.
Planting onion seedlings in open ground
Seedlings are planted in open ground in the first half of May, for example, this applies to the Moscow region. Before an important step, it is necessary to thoroughly moisten the soil so as not to damage the root system of the plant. It is better to do the work in the evening or in cloudy weather. Active sun can destroy young shoots.
The leek bed is chosen in open areas so that it can grow with maximum access to light. It is not recommended to plant a crop near bushes and trees.
The soil for planting must be neutral reaction, rather loose... If the soil is acidified, it must be preliminarily limed.
It is advisable to start preparing the beds in the fall. To do this, the site is dug up and cleaned of roots and weeds, after which processed by Nitrofoska (2 tbsp. L. Per 1 m2). In early spring, the beds are enriched with humus and compost without additional digging of the earth.
When the seedlings are ready to be transplanted, the grooves are prepared in the selected area. Their depth is 10-15 cm, interval - 25-30 cm... A distance of 10-20 cm is maintained between the shoots, depending on the variety.
Each root, before immersion in the ground, is treated with a special chatter box, which is prepared from clay, manure and water (all components are taken in equal proportions). Too long shoots shortened to 4 cm... Seedlings are sprinkled with soil in small quantities. Transplant work ends with abundant watering.
Leek care after transplant
Leeks are not very whimsical to care for, but it will take some effort to get a harvest. To grow a good crop that will not be afraid of transportation and will grow healthy, you need to care for it properly.
Care includes:
- regular watering;
- weeding;
- hilling (3-4 times during the growing season);
- groundbait;
- loosening;
- treatment against diseases and pests.
After transplanting seedlings, the plant is not watered for three days.
Further, the shoots need to be watered not with cold water. 1 time in 5 days... The irrigation rate is up to 10-15 liters of settled water per 1 m2.
During the season, leeks are fed 3-4 times... The plant responds well to organic fertilizers: mullein, compost, bird droppings. Mineral complexes rich in potassium, phosphorus and other micro and macro elements are also suitable. Each hilling is recommended to be combined with the introduction of ash.
Every 2 weeks it is necessary to loosen the soil around the shoots until the stem becomes as thick as a pencil. Further, the procedures become more frequent and expand into the groove zone to saturate the soil with oxygen and prevent soil compaction.
Harvesting and storage
You can harvest onions until late autumn, but it is better to do this before frost and the first snow falls.
The plant should be cleaned of damaged and dried leaves, remove the tip of the feathers (about 1/3 of the length), cut at the root by 1 cm.
The crop is well stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film. Before packing, the stems must be cooled so that condensation does not form under the polyethylene. Basements, cellars or pits with a temperature regime of no higher than 2-5 degrees are also suitable as storage facilities.
For preparations for the winter, the leek is placed in the freezer. After defrosting, it retains its properties and is quite usable.
Leeks are still gaining popularity among Russian gardeners. It is very interesting and useful to gain invaluable experience in growing a crop and share it with summer residents, as well as boasting a magnificent harvest that may look unusual.