Leeks in the snow at the allotment

We’ve had a mild winter so far, very different from the cold spells we had during the winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011.

Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) are one of my favourite winter vegetables and they survive in even the coldest winters. However, East Anglia is a dry part of Britain and when a lack of rainfall is combined with a free draining sandy soil, as on our allotment, leeks grow slowly and will never beat any records for size.

In 2011 I sowed leeks direct in the soil outside and in a seed tray in an unheated greenhouse, which I moved out into the back garden after a few weeks.

I was able to give the leeks in seed trays a lot more water and they were about pencil thickness when I planted them out at the allotment and they are now a reasonable size. But the leeks sown direct are still little more than blades of grass, as there just wasn’t enough water in the spring and early summer.

Leek – watercolour by Vanna Bartlett

As an added complication, leek moth is rife at the allotments, so plants have to be covered with Enviromesh to exclude the moths. Without a layer of protection, leek moths lay their eggs on the leeks and the caterpillars hollow out the leek stems. In a dry, hot year about half the leek crop can be destroyed.

So it’s worth giving leeks a bit of extra care and attention during spring and summer, then in late October when leek moths are no longer flying, you can take off the covers and let them stand up to the worst of the winter on their own.

The reward? A lovely, versatile winter vegetable, which can be used in a large range of recipes, such as leek flan, one of my favourites.

There are quite a few varieties of leek, if you’d like to grow your own from seed. “Musselburgh” is a reliable, hardy old variety and “Natan” is good too, though I haven’t found the seed on sale for a couple of years.