Leek has become a favorite of gourmets for its mild taste and beneficial properties. Today it is increasingly planted in gardens and summer cottages. However, few know that for the winter it can be left in the beds.

Frost resistance leek

Leek is a vegetable made up of white and green parts. Its homeland is the Mediterranean, but today it is cultivated around the world. This herbaceous plant belongs to the group of two-year-old onions with flat leaves. In height, the stem usually grows up to 40–90 cm, in a radius - up to 5 cm. Its taste is much more pleasant than that of ordinary onion.

Did you know? There is a lot of iron in leek. It is part of hemoglobin, the protein that red blood cells are made of, so onions are especially recommended for people with anemia.

Leek leaves are painted in various shades of green - from light emerald to bluish, grow at an acute angle to the stem. Bulb - elongated, devoid of onion. The stem grows directly from it. After wintering, the plant forms an arrow, which grows up to two meters in height. It forms a spherical inflorescence of flowers of white, pink or light lilac color, which can reach 8 cm in diameter. Seeds of onions trihedral black.

Leek - a winter-hardy plant that tolerates temperatures well up to -4 ...- 6 ° С. Certain varieties (for example, Karnatansky) have excellent frost resistance and are resistant to temperatures up to -14 ° C. They grow slowly, driving the stem up to 15 cm. However, without snow at a temperature of -15 ° C and below, the plant dies.

Harvest Dates

Early varieties are harvested from late summer to mid-autumn. Individual plants can be dug up at the end of July for cooking - they are not suitable for laying for long-term storage.Bulk leeks of medium-ripening varieties are harvested in the first half of October (before the first frosts). Late varieties take longer to mature. They are dug from the end of autumn until mid-spring.

Important! Two weeks before harvesting, it is recommended to cover the beds with any lightproof material - the bulbs will become snow-white.

Dig out the onions carefully so as not to damage the stem. It is best to work with a pitchfork. In plants, 2/3 of the leaves and half of the roots are cut, cleaned in a cool dark place on trellised shelves. Storage in wooden boxes proved to be good. A layer of sand, sawdust or peat is poured at the bottom of the container. Onions are placed vertically close to each other, the roots are sprinkled. The substrate is kept slightly moist. In a dark room at a fairly low temperature (approximately + 2 ° C), onions will slowly grow, and the lower part will be bleached. In this way, leek can be stored until April.

Keeps onion properties well in the freezer. Plants are washed, cleaned, cut in half, cooled in the refrigerator to 0 ° C. Then packaged in a film and sent to the freezer. After defrosting, the leek may lose its appearance, but the taste will not be affected.

Is it possible to leave leeks before winter

Some frost-resistant varieties can be left to winter in the garden, hilling a leg higher. This is especially true for late-ripening varieties. They easily tolerate mild winters under a thick layer of snow.

In harsh conditions with low temperatures, the onions are covered with peat, covered with hay, spruce branches (pine or spruce branches) or dry grass. Also, some gardeners cover a leek with a non-woven fiber. To do this, special arches are equipped above the beds. During wintering, the content of vitamins in plants only increases.

Care Tips

To get a good harvest, the plot is prepared in the fall. Acidic soil is lime, peat is added to alkaline soil.

The bed is dug up to the depth of the bayonet (about 25 cm). Also for 1 m² make:

• rotted manure or compost - 1 bucket;
• rotted sawdust - 2 liter cans;
• superphosphate - 1.5 tbsp. l .;
• potassium sulfate - 1 tbsp. l

In the spring it is recommended to make an additional 1 tsp. ammonium nitrate per 1 m².

Leek is planted in well-moistened soil. From seeds, it is recommended to grow onions only in the southern regions, where air and soil warm up quite early. They germinate seeds in peat pots or nutrient boxes. In the middle lane and in the northern regions, only seedlings are used, which are deepened or mulched by 8 cm. Before planting, young plants are watered, leaves and roots are shortened by 1/3.

Important! Leek grows best on beds after legumes, cabbage, early potatoes, pumpkin crops, and tomatoes. "He does not like" he is the soil after any bow.

Leek needs moisture, so water it abundantly up to three times a week. The soil should get wet to a depth of 7-10 cm. It is especially necessary to observe the irrigation regime during the growing season. In order to prevent drying out, it is recommended to mulch the soil with a peat layer of 2-3 cm.

Plants are cultivated once every two weeks. It is better to carry out work immediately after watering or a few hours after it. This helps the plant to form a more powerful elastic white leg.

Weeding is especially important in the first months of the growing season.. Weeds are removed regularly as necessary, but at least once a week, thoroughly cleaning the soil around the plants. When the onion reaches maturity, he will fight weeds.

Plants need constant feeding. The first is carried out with mullein, diluting 1 liter in 10 liters of water, about 3 weeks after planting, when the onion already has 5-6 true leaves. Re-feed onions after another 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizer, for which they take:

• urea - 20 g;
• superphosphate - 30 g;
• potassium - 15 g;
• water - 10 l.

The ingredients mix well and water the onions.

The last top dressing is done in mid-July. A solution is prepared in the same way as for the second, but the proportion of superphosphate is increased to 40 g, potassium to 25 g.

Of the pests, the leek moth is especially leaking. Penetrating into the leaves, it feeds on living tissues. As a result of this "activity" the whole plant may die. Moth is especially dangerous in dry, hot times. It is recommended in May-June spraying plants with insecticides. During this treatment, nematodes, thrips, flies, onion beetles and other pests are also destroyed.

Dangerous for leek and onion rust caused by fungus. Heavily affected plants are burned, the rest are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, they are applied with potash fertilizers, they are constantly loosened and weeds are planted.

Did you know? During excavations in the Valley of the Kings, archaeologists discovered an image of a bow on the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, dated 1327 BC. e.

Leek is a valuable plant for the cultivation of which does not require special effort. Left to winter in the garden, in the spring (in May) it will provide you with vitamins and useful elements.