Leek

Allium ampeloprasum

vegetable

Leeks are a mild, sweet member of the onion family grown for their thick, blanched white shanks rather than a bulb, prized in soups, braises, and stocks. A long-season, very cold-hardy allium needing roughly 100 to 120 days, leeks stand in the garden through hard frosts and can be harvested well into winter, sweetening as the weather cools.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Carrots — Leeks repel carrot rust fly while carrots repel leek moth
• Celery — Shares moisture needs and bed space
• Sweet Alyssum — Draws hoverflies that eat aphids
• Beets — Uses different soil depth efficiently

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Onion thrips →

  Keep plants watered to limit stress; encourage lacewings and minute pirate bugs

• Leek moth and allium leaf miner →

  Cover with insect netting during adult flights; rotate alliums

• Onion white rot →

  Rotate alliums on a long cycle and avoid waterlogged soil

🌾 Harvest & storage

Lift leeks once the shanks reach about an inch or more across, loosening the soil with a fork rather than pulling, since the roots hold tight. Very cold-hardy, leeks can stay in the ground and be dug as needed through frost and into winter under a mulch, and they sweeten with cold.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Leeks are low in calories and provide vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and manganese, along with the same beneficial organosulfur compounds and prebiotic fibers found in onions and garlic.