Crops › Leek
How to grow Leek
in the UK
Sow February to April, plant out May to September, harvest October to February. About 150 days from seed to plate.
Leeks are a proper winter staple, aren't they? There's nothing quite like pulling a fresh leek from the frozen ground on your allotment, ready for a hearty soup. They're an Allium, same family as onions, and quite satisfying to grow, standing up to our British weather.
Sowing
You'll want to get your leek seeds started indoors, say from February right through to April, to give them a real head start, especially up here in the North East. Just sow them thinly in a tray or small pots, about 1 cm deep, in some decent seed compost. Keep them somewhere warm, like on a windowsill or in a heated propagator, around 15-20°C. Once they're up, thin them out a bit so they've got room to grow, and don't be tempted to plant them out too early; wait till after the last frost, usually mid to late May for us.
Growing on
Once those seedlings are a decent size, about pencil thick, you'll need to prick them out and give them a bit more space. Harden them off gradually for a couple of weeks, you know, getting them used to the outdoors before they go in the ground proper. Plant them out deeply on the plot, making a hole maybe 15 cm deep with a dibber, then just drop the leek in and water it in, letting the water fill the hole. Space them about 15 cm apart in rows, with 30 cm between rows, to give them room to grow those long white shanks we're after.
Looking after it
Keep them well-watered, especially in dry spells, to help them get established. The big thing with leeks is earthing them up; you need to keep mounding soil around the stems regularly as they grow. This blanched part is what we want nice and white, and earthing up also helps keep them steady in the wind.
What goes wrong
Leeks are generally quite tough, but you can get a couple of nuisances. Leek moth can be a bit of a pest, laying eggs that hatch into grubs that tunnel into the stems, making a mess. Rust can also show up as orange spots on the leaves, especially in damp weather. Planting them near carrots or celery can sometimes help, like I say, it's worth a try.
Harvest
You're looking at harvesting your leeks from around October, right through to February, about 150 days after sowing. Just pull them up as you need them; they'll happily sit in the ground all winter, even through a bit of frost, getting sweeter as the cold hits them. If you pull a lot, they'll keep for a week or two in a cool, dark place.
My best tip for cracking white leeks? Get a proper thick stick or a dibber and make a deep, narrow hole, then just drop the little leek plant in and water it in. The soil will wash down a bit, and you won't need to earth up as much later on.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Musselburgh This is a cracking old Scottish variety, known for its superb hardiness. It's a proper reliable choice if you're after a heritage leek that can really stand up to our winters. | No club votes yet |
| Bandit 'Bandit' is a really uniform leek, giving you lovely long white shanks every time. Great for those who like a tidy crop and consistent results. | No club votes yet |
| Carlton If you're keen to get your leeks a bit earlier in the season, 'Carlton' is a good shout. It matures quickly, giving you some early pickings. | No club votes yet |
| Autumn Mammoth 2 This one's a bit of a showstopper, a proper exhibition type that grows to a huge size. If you're into growing big vegetables, 'Autumn Mammoth 2' is for you. | No club votes yet |
| Bleu de Solaise A beautiful heritage leek from France, with distinctive blue-green leaves and excellent flavour. It's very hardy too, and looks cracking on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Giant Winter As the name suggests, 'Giant Winter' is an incredibly hardy variety, perfect for leaving in the ground through the coldest months. It'll give you a good, solid crop when other things are struggling. | No club votes yet |
| Jolant 'Jolant' is another top choice for winter harvests, with lovely dark green leaves and excellent cold tolerance. This one will happily sit in the ground, waiting for you to pull it on a frosty day. | No club votes yet 2 growing it |
| King Richard For those who fancy baby leeks or an earlier crop, 'King Richard' is a cracking choice as it matures really quickly. It's great for stir-fries or just a quick side dish. | No club votes yet |
| Oarsman 'Oarsman' is a reliable maincrop leek, known for its thick, sturdy stems that stand up well. A good all-rounder if you're looking for a solid performer in the middle of the season. | No club votes yet |
| Toledo If rust is a problem on your plot, 'Toledo' is definitely one to consider as it has good resistance. It's a reliable leek that gives you a decent harvest without too much fuss. | No club votes yet |
| Apollo 'Apollo' is a good 'un if you want leeks earlier in the year, even into summer, maturing really quickly. It's a nice choice for extending your leek season beyond just winter. | No club votes yet |
| Zermatt 'Zermatt' offers a more slender leek with a truly excellent flavour, proper tasty. It's a cracking choice if you prioritise taste over a massive yield. | No club votes yet |
| Mammoth Pot Leek Another heritage variety for the show bench, 'Mammoth Pot Leek' is all about growing those impressively large specimens. If you love a challenge and want to grow a giant, this is for you. | No club votes yet |
| Blaugrüner Winter This German heritage leek, 'Blaugrüner Winter', has striking blue-green leaves and fantastic hardiness. It's a proper sturdy winter variety that will perform well in colder conditions. | No club votes yet |
| Pandora 'Pandora' is a great option if you've struggled with rust before, offering good tolerance and producing lovely long, straight stems. A reliable choice for a healthy crop. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Leek seeds
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Cook the harvest
Whole leeks roasted until tender and caramelised, then finished with a sticky white miso and mirin glaze that deepens and chars at the edges. Served over crispy pan-fried tofu and scattered with toasted sesame seeds, this is a genuinely satisfying plant-based main that takes leeks seriously. The umami of the miso and the sweetness of the roasted leek are a natural match.
55 min · mediumSoft, golden cornbread packed with sweet softened leeks and sharp Cheddar, baked in a single dish until the top is crackled and crisp. This is proper comfort food — hearty enough to serve as a weeknight main with a green salad, or alongside a bowl of soup. The leeks melt into the batter and keep everything moist.
40 min · easyA deeply comforting risotto that treats leeks as a proper vegetable rather than a flavour note — they are cooked down slowly at the start until silky and sweet, then threaded through every spoonful. Smoky bacon and sharp mature Cheddar make this feel robustly British rather than Italian-by-numbers. This is a cold-night dinner that never disappoints.
55 min · mediumA buttery shortcrust case filled with slow-cooked leeks, sharp Gruyère and a Dijon-spiked custard. This is the sort of tart you find on a French market stall — unpretentious, deeply savoury and genuinely satisfying. It works equally well warm from the oven or at room temperature, which makes it ideal for a winter lunch with dressed leaves.
95 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Questions people ask
When do you sow Leek in the UK?
Sow Leek from February to April. Plant out May to September, after the last frost.
How long does Leek take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 150 days, with the harvest October to February.
Which Leek varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Musselburgh, Bandit, Carlton, Autumn Mammoth 2 and more.
Track your Leek from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.