Mechelen Blue-Green Winter leek
$4.00 – $6.00
(Allium ampeloprasum)
A solid, fat winter leek. We got this variety from Adaptive Seeds in Oregon; they got it from a biodynamic grower in Mechelen, Belgium who had selected it for cold-hardiness. We are continuing the selection; our seed population overwintered outdoors with a bit of mulch for protection. Enormous pink flowers in the second year are quite ornamental, by the way.
Start indoors eight weeks before frost-free date, the same as onions. 3 – 4 seeds per cell, 1/5” deep. Transplant when tulips start flowering. Dig a 5” deep trench, and add 1” of compost to the bottom. Make a small hole in the bottom of the trench, and bury the bottom half of the leek seedling. Space 4” apart, with 3 rows per bed in a 36” bed. Water carefully. As leeks grow, move soil back into trench in layers, and mulch. Harvest any time after leeks are larger than your thumb. Mulch for the winter and harvest as needed, or dig and replant in sand to store in the root cellar.