Permapotes
Leeks

Winter leek

Winter leek: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Winter leeks are leek varieties whose season of production and cold tolerance suit harvesting in the colder part of the year. Leek, Allium porrum, belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, alongside onions and garlic. The word “winter” describes a type of variety and a seasonal use rather than a separate species. This vegetable is valued for its fleshy shaft and mild flavour when cooked.

The shaft is not an ordinary stem: it consists of leaf sheaths packed closely together. These layers form a white to pale green cylinder, continuing upwards into long, flat leaves. Unlike an onion, a leek does not form a large rounded bulb. The pale portion corresponds to tissues with little exposure to light, while the upper foliage remains green or blue-green. Its layered structure is visible in a cross-section.

Varieties differ in shaft length and thickness, leaf colour and the season in which they reach their expected size. Winter types often have a sturdy habit and blue-green foliage. ‘Bleu de Solaise’ is a traditional example with bluish leaves and good cold tolerance. Hardiness nevertheless varies between selections and with garden conditions. Not all leeks pass through winter in the same way, even when their appearance is similar.

Following the development of leaves and the shaft, a leek can produce a tall flowering stem, generally in the following year. It carries a rounded head of numerous small white to pinkish flowers. Flowering is accompanied by a more fibrous centre. Perennial leeks maintained for their regrowth represent a different way of growing the crop from these varieties intended for seasonal production.

In the kitchen, the white portion has a more tender texture, while the green leaves are firmer and give character to soups and stocks. The flavour recalls onion, with a distinctive sweetness after cooking. Leeks feature in quiches, gratins, creamed vegetable dishes and stews. They also accompany potatoes in soups or serve as the main vegetable in a dish.

In a vegetable garden, upright leaves provide structure during months when many crops have disappeared. Winter varieties extend the range of vegetables available in colder seasons. Their development takes several months, so earliness and mature size are important differences between varieties, alongside their tolerance of cold weather.

Winter leek
Winter leek
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
  • Mature height : 50 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 1 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 15 cm
  • Row Spacing : 30 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Moderate
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing