Crops › Leek
How to grow Leek
in the US
Sow March to May, plant out June, harvest July to October. About 120 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Leeks, proper cracking vegetables they are. Great for winter meals, lovely in a stew or just braised. You can leave 'em in the ground for ages too, which is handy on the plot.
Sowing
Leeks are best started indoors, to be honest. Get your seeds going about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep in trays or modules, usually February through April for many zones, but check your specific USDA zone for the best timing – it can be as early as January for warmer areas or April/May for colder ones. Keep them somewhere warm, around 60-68°F (15-20°C), on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. They don't need much light to start, but once they pop up, give 'em plenty. Sow a few more than you think you'll need, just in case.
Growing on
Once your seedlings are a few inches tall, maybe pencil-thick, you can prick them out into individual pots or deeper trays. Get 'em hardened off gradually for a couple of weeks before planting out. This means putting them outside during the day and bringing them in at night. Plant them out when they're about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) tall, once all danger of last frost has passed. Space them about 6 inches (15 cm) apart in rows, leaving 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) between rows. You can plant them quite deep too, to get a longer white stem.
Looking after it
Leeks like a good drink, especially in dry spells, so keep 'em watered. They appreciate a bit of feeding too, a general-purpose fertilizer now and then helps. Mulching around them can keep the weeds down and hold in moisture. The main thing is to 'blanch' them; that's earthing up soil around the stems as they grow, or using collars, to keep the light off and make that lovely white shank.
What goes wrong
Slugs and aphids are the main culprits you'll likely see. Slugs can munch on the young plants, so keep an eye out and pick 'em off. Aphids might gather on the leaves; a strong jet of water can often knock 'em off, or just squish 'em, you know what I mean. Marigolds and nasturtiums planted nearby can sometimes help deter pests, which is a neat trick.
Harvest
Leeks are usually ready for harvest from September through November, about 120 days from sowing, depending on your variety and zone. Start pulling them when they're a good size, maybe an inch or so thick. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil around them, then pull up gently. They store well in the ground over winter in many zones. Dig them up and keep in a cool, dry place, or refrigerate if you need to.
I always try to plant my leeks a bit deeper than you'd think, using a dibber to make a proper hole. Then I just drop the seedling in and water it in, letting the water fill the hole, no need to backfill fully.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| King Richard King Richard is a cracking maincrop leek, very reliable and easy to grow. It's known for producing a good, long white stem. | No club votes yet |
| Lancelot This Lancelot variety is another solid choice for your garden, always performs well. It gives you a nice, thick shank, great for cooking. | No club votes yet |
| Bandit Bandit is a tough leek, real reliable even when the weather turns a bit chilly. It stands well in the ground, offering a long harvest window. | No club votes yet |
| Tadorna Tadorna is a dependable maincrop leek, giving you a good yield every time. It's got a lovely flavor and a decent blanched stem. | No club votes yet |
| Giant Musselburgh You can't go wrong with Giant Musselburgh, a classic for a reason and very reliable. Expect big, chunky leeks that are proper hardy. | No club votes yet |
| Carentan Carentan is a sturdy maincrop leek, one that I've always found to be a reliable performer. It's known for its good hardiness and strong growth. | No club votes yet |
| Blue Solaise This Blue Solaise variety is a beauty, with its distinctive blue-green leaves and reliable growth. It's very hardy and keeps well in the ground. | No club votes yet |
| Pandora Pandora is a fine choice for a maincrop leek, always delivering a reliable harvest. It produces good quality, uniform shanks. | No club votes yet |
| Varna Varna is a robust and reliable leek, excellent for those colder months on the plot. It offers good disease resistance and stands well. | No club votes yet |
| Jolant Jolant is another trustworthy maincrop leek, giving you consistent results. It grows with a good thick stem and nice flavor. | No club votes yet |
| Megaton As the name suggests, Megaton is known for its impressive size and reliable yields. It's a cracking leek if you want something substantial. | No club votes yet |
| Lincoln Lincoln is a solid, reliable maincrop leek that's always a good bet for a steady crop. It performs well and has good winter hardiness. | No club votes yet |
| Autumn Giant Autumn Giant is a dependable variety that, like its name, grows to a good size for harvesting later in the year. It's known for its robust nature and reliable performance. | No club votes yet |
| Elephant Elephant is a large and reliable leek, perfect if you're looking for bigger stems. It's a sturdy plant that stands well in the soil. | No club votes yet |
| Rally Rally is a productive and reliable leek variety, giving you a good, steady crop. It has strong growth and a nice blanched stem. | 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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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April to May | August to October |
| Zone 4 | April to May | August to October |
| Zone 5 | March to May | July to October |
| Zone 6 | March to May | July to October |
| Zone 7 | February to May | June to October |
| Zone 8 | February to May | June to October |
| Zone 9 | January to November | May to December |
| Zone 10 | October to March | May to December |
Cook the harvest
A luxuriously creamy risotto made with slowly cooked leeks folded into perfectly rippled Arborio rice, finished with a generous amount of Parmesan and a final knob of cold butter for the classic all'onda wave. The leeks dissolve into the risotto and give it a gentle sweetness that makes this one of the most elegant and comforting bowls of Italian-American cooking.
55 min · mediumFlamiche is the beloved Belgian leek tart — a buttery pastry shell filled with a rich mixture of slow-cooked leeks, eggs, and cream that sets into something custardy and deeply savory. It is the Flemish cousin of quiche Lorraine, and arguably its superior when you want to let the vegetable shine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
85 min · mediumThe classic French-American cold leek and potato soup — silky, pale ivory, and deeply flavored with slowly cooked leeks and a generous pour of cream — is one of the great cold soups of the world. Invented at the Ritz-Carlton in New York, vichyssoise is at its most elegant when served well chilled in cold bowls with snipped fresh chives.
50 min · easyTender braised leeks baked under a golden, bubbling crust of nutty Gruyère cheese in a cream sauce seasoned with thyme and a hint of mustard. This gratin is a supremely comforting side dish that pairs beautifully with roasted chicken or pork, and would hold its own as a vegetarian main alongside a green salad and crusty bread.
65 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Leek in the US?
Sow Leek from March to May in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out June, after the last frost.
How long does Leek take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 120 days, with the harvest July to October.
Which Leek varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for King Richard, Lancelot, Bandit, Tadorna 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.