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Vegetable
Leek
Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
A slow but trouble-free onion relative that stands in the garden over winter until you need it. Sow or plant seedlings from late summer to autumn. For long white stems, plant seedlings deep in a trench or hill soil around them as they grow.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing15 cm apart
- First pick17–21 weeks
- FrostFrost hardy
- HeatCopes with some heat
- Sow depth6 mm
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add leek to my gardenTake care with pets and children
Pets: Seriously toxic. Children: Not known to be toxic. Parts: all.
Varieties (3)
- King RichardFast, long and slender; good for early harvests and baby leeks
- Lyon PrizetakerLong, thick white shanks; mild flavour
- MusselburghVery cold hardy and reliable; thick medium stems
Neighbours
Grows well with
Keep away from
From seed to plate
Plant
15 cm apart, seed 6 mm deep. Full sun.
Water
Regular water.
Feed
Nitrogen-rich compost.
Pick, from about 17 weeks
Lift as needed through winter.
Good to know
- Drop seedlings into 15 cm holes made with a dibber and fill with water, not soil; stems blanch as they grow
- Trim roots and leaf tops slightly when transplanting
- Harvest any time from pencil thickness; lift with a fork to avoid snapping
Common problems
- Rust (orange spots)space for airflow, avoid overhead watering; remove badly affected leaves
- Thin stemsplant deeper or hill soil around the stems, and feed with compost
- Onion thrips (silvery streaks) in dry weatherhose foliage and keep plants watered
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Where this information comes from
- Australian seed company regional sowing charts (temperate zone) (germination, low confidence)
- UC Master Gardener Program (UC ANR): soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination (germination, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia: April alliums (growing, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia fact sheets (growing, low confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia plant finder: Leek (growing, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Sustainable Gardening Australia: planting guides (sowing window, low confidence)
- Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, low confidence)
- PDSA Pet Health Hub: onion and garlic poisoning in dogs (toxicity, high confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.