Leek is the vegetable crop most popular with growers in the Americas and in Western Europe. A large number of vegetable and nutritious dishes can not do without the "participation" of this healthy vegetable. In the article we will tell you how to grow leek on a personal plot on your own.
Description and varieties of leeks
Leek is a biennial plant. In the period of the first year, the plant’s root system is actively growing, long, fibrous structure, leaf plates are stretched to 1.5 m, a fan-like growth over each other is gradually carried out. And at the same time period, the growth of the white segment of the stem - the false bulb.
In the second year, shooting occurs, a long straight peduncle appears, in the upper part of which small flowers of white-pink color appear, collected in a spherical inflorescence-umbrella, which can be used for decorative purposes. The plant is cross-pollinated, propagated by seeds, which in appearance resemble the seeds of onion turnip and ripen by August-September.
Did you know? Leek is the national symbol of Wales.
Ranging:
- Early grades - Gulliver, Goliath, Kilima, Columbus. Harvesting - from July to early September.
- Mid-season - Elephant, Tango, Bastion, Bandit, Winner. Commodity ripeness occurs by mid-September.
- Varieties of late ripening - Acreoc, Mercury, Winter giant. A distinctive feature is increased frost resistance.
Why leek is good
Leek is a source of the most important macro- and microelements:
- Nickel
- magnesium
- gland;
- potassium;
- calcium
- phosphorus.
- The following can be said about the benefits of leek for the human body:
- Since iron is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, the leek is recommended for use in order to prevent anemia and therapeutic nutrition with anemia.
- People with arterial hypertension, as well as those with elevated cholesterol, need to include leeks in the diet on a regular basis, since due to the high content of potassium and folic acid, the condition and elasticity of the vessels significantly improves.
- It helps to improve well-being with arthritis, diseases associated with improper metabolism, diseases of the urinary tract, as it is an excellent anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
- Thanks to the fibrous structure of the leaves, it establishes the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, positively affects the intestinal microflora.
- It supports eye health, because it is a source of beneficial substances: lutein, zeaxanthin, carotenoids.
- Leek is indispensable as a source of volatile production during the spread of influenza and seasonal infections.
When to plant leeks
The vegetable has a long growing season - up to 200 days (depending on the variety material). In areas with a temperate climate, it is grown by seedlings. Sowing seeds at home is done in late winter or early spring. If it is intended to grow seedlings in a greenhouse, then in April. You can sow the seeds immediately on the bed under the film in early May.
Planting seeds for growing seedlings at home
Let us dwell in more detail on the indoor stage of growing onion seedlings.
Did you know? Leek tend not only not to lose vitamin C during storage, but even increase its content by more than half.
Proper preparation
From the correctly completed preparatory stage it depends directly on what the crop will be as a result.
The soil
The earth mixture for seedlings should be light, air and water permeable, with a neutral pH value.
Seed material
Before sowing seeds, it is recommended to stand for several hours in warm water (approximately + 45 ° C), after which they are immediately placed in cold water, and then thoroughly dried.
Landing technology
Leek has a long root system, therefore, for planting it requires containers with a depth of at least 10 cm. It is preferable to use separate cassettes or glasses so that when transplanting into open ground there is no damage to the root system and there is no need for picking.
Disinfected using potassium permanganate solution, the pots or cassettes are filled with nutritious, but light soil, slightly tamped.
Seeds are laid out in well-moistened soil, 2-3 pieces in each tank, sprinkled with a layer of sand (0.5 cm) on top, and a plastic film is placed on top. Until the first shoots appear, the temperature in the mini-hotbeds should not fall below + 25 ° C.
Picking and hardening seedlings
If the circumstances are such that you have to grow seedlings in common containers or crates, there will be a need for picking plants.
The agricultural technology of the process is as follows: plants are carefully planted or thinned, maintaining a distance of at least 3 cm between them in a row.Important! If the pick is made in a separate container, its diameter should be at least 4 cm.
For onions in the seedling stage, it is very important to observe the temperature regime of the content, since excessive temperature values contribute to the early formation of the flower-bearing arrow. At the time of germination of the first friendly seedlings, the container is freed from the film, after which the temperature is set for a week at + 17 ° C during the day and +10 ... + 12 ° C at night.
Before planting in open ground in the room where the seedlings grow, set the day temperature to about + 20 ° C, night - + 14 ° C.
Planting leeks in open ground
Usually, leeks are planted after legumes, siderates, tomatoes and cabbage. But then you can not plant this vegetable crop, so it is after onions of any kind.
Seedlings, for which it is necessary to cut the roots and green mass by one third, are placed in open ground, which is previously fertilized with urea, humus and loosens, maintaining an inter-hole interval of about 40 cm.After that, the holes are lightly dug and plentifully watered.
The landing procedure is carried out in cloudy weather, in the late afternoon.
Outdoor onion care
The technology for growing leeks is as follows:
- Since this type of onion is grown for the white part of the stem, the main and constant procedure should be the hilling, which is done at least 4 times during the growing season. After it is held, the soil under the plant is mulched with rotted straw, dried manure.
- Loosening is carried out 2 times a month.
- It is necessary to water the vegetable at least once every 5 days (depending on climatic conditions, soil, etc.), introducing a volume of water equal to the volume of a large bucket of water per 1 m².
- Feeding is carried out 3-4 times for the entire period of growing vegetables. The first fertilizer application should be carried out 20 days after planting the vegetable crop at a constant place of growth. The earth under leek is watered with a solution of complex fertilizer dissolved in 10 l of water. Subsequently, it is alternated with organic top dressing (cow manure or bird droppings, diluted in water).
- The main pest for this vegetable is the onion fly, which in May lays its eggs in the soil, and after a few days the larvae move to the onion stem, the juice of which they feed. Because of this, the vegetable gradually fades and dies. To combat the pest, it is recommended to dust with ash, burning pepper, tobacco dust.
Important! Onion fly does not tolerate the smell of celery, so it is recommended to plant this spicy culture in onion aisles.
Features of harvesting and storage of crops
Harvest leeks are harvested before the onset of stable cold weather (up to -5 ° C). The plants are dug up and for a short time left on the surface of the soil for drying, after which they are shortened by a few centimeters of roots and placed in storage. The leaf part of the plants is not cut, otherwise the process of rapid withering begins.
The crops are stored in the cellar, where boxes of river sand of high humidity (but not wet) are placed, in which the stalks of leek are placed perpendicularly, pouring sand. With this form of storage, onions can be stored for up to 6 months.
In apartment conditions, it is stored in the refrigerator in the vegetable area or in dried form.
As you can see, growing leeks and caring for this vitamin plant is not difficult at all. The main thing: adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology.
