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CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Varna Organic leek seeds produce what may be the ultimate summer leek. It grows so quickly that it can be harvested at the green onion stage for gourmet baby leeks when planted close together. Otherwise, grow this Bulgarian type leek out to full size at 45cm (18″) tall. The highly uniform, flavourful leeks are very cylindrical and quite thick. The dark green leaves are upright and rigid, with good tolerance to leaf diseases. Varna is named after a town (and region) in Bulgaria. Bulgarian type leeks are bred for size and flavour, and Varna lives up to both.
Matures in 60-80 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
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Latin
Latin
Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy, but slow. Transplanting is required.
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full-sun
Zone: Winter harvest leeks are hardy to Zone 7.
Timing
Timing
Start summer/fall harvest leeks 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, in flats indoors. Start winter harvest leeks indoors from March to mid-June. In mild winter areas, start them in a humus-rich nursery bed outside, and then transplant. Optimal soil temperature: 10-25°C (50-75°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days.
Starting
Starting
In flats: Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, about 1cm (½”) apart. Transplant when 20cm (8″) tall. Space 20cm (8″) apart in rows 45cm (18″) apart. Rows can be as narrow as 20cm (8") if planting in raised beds or other situation where weeding will be simple.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 5.-6.5. Leeks have short roots, so the benefit from fertile soil with lots of compost and ½ cup balanced organic fertilizer worked in beneath each 2m (6′) of row. Traditional garden wisdom recommends using a dibber to make holes 15cm (6″) deep. Transplants are then set at the bottom of the hole and the hole is left unfilled – rain will fill it in as the leek grows. To blanch further up the stem, hill soil up around the stem as the leek grows, or mulch with straw.
However, the wise and much loved garden writer Linda Gilkeson asserts that there is no need to plant leeks into holes or trenches. She recommends transplanting the seedlings only at the depth of the soil plug they grow in. They will still produce nice, tall, blanched shanks, with no soil grains between the leaves.
In late fall, mulch around leeks as high up the stems as possible. If the forecast is for weather below -10° (14°Ï‚ cover them with a blanket or tarp.
Days to maturity: From transplant date.
Harvest
Harvest
Dig at any size, as needed. If winter harvest leeks freeze solid, wait until they thaw out during a warm spell to harvest.
Seed Info
Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 65% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 1 year. Per 100′ row: 240 seeds, per acre: 70M seeds.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting
Grow leeks with beets, carrot, celery, onions, and spinach. Avoid planting near beans and peas. Leeks help repel carrot rust flies.
More on Companion Planting.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
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Start summer/fall harvest leeks 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, in flats indoors. Start winter harvest leeks indoors from March to mid-June. In mild winter areas, start them in a humus-rich nursery bed outside, and then transplant. Optimal soil temperature: 10-25°C (50-75°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-16 days.
In flats: Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, about 1cm (½”) apart. Transplant when 20cm (8″) tall. Space 20cm (8″) apart in rows 45cm (18″) apart. Rows can be as narrow as 20cm (8") if planting in raised beds or other situation where weeding will be simple.
Ideal pH: 5.-6.5.
Leeks have short roots, so the benefit from fertile soil with lots of compost and ½ cup balanced organic fertilizer worked in beneath each 2m (6′) of row. Traditional garden wisdom recommends using a dibber to make holes 15cm (6″) deep. Transplants are then set at the bottom of the hole and the hole is left unfilled – rain will fill it in as the leek grows. To blanch further up the stem, hill soil up around the stem as the leek grows, or mulch with straw.
However, the wise and much loved garden writer Linda Gilkeson asserts that there is no need to plant leeks into holes or trenches. She recommends transplanting the seedlings only at the depth of the soil plug they grow in. They will still produce nice, tall, blanched shanks, with no soil grains between the leaves.
In late fall, mulch around leeks as high up the stems as possible. If the forecast is for weather below -10°‚ cover them with a blanket or tarp.
Days to maturity: From transplant date.
In optimal conditions at least 65% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 1 year. Per 100′ row: 240 seeds, per acre: 70M seeds.
Dig at any size, as needed. If winter harvest leeks freeze solid, wait until they thaw out during a warm spell to harvest.
