With their compact, bolt upright growth, leeks are the ideal crop to squeeze into bare patches on an allotment or in a border. Here's how to grow this stalwart of the vegetable patch.
What to do
Choose a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained soil.
Dig the soil for planting in the winter, adding plenty of well-rotted manure.
A week before sowing, spread a general, balanced fertiliser over the soil and rake in.
Leeks can be sown in rows, 30cm apart. To do this, make a 1cm furrow with the corner of a rake and sow seed thinly. Cover, water and label.
Keep soil weed free, but be careful not to remove the grass-like young leeks by mistake.
When seedlings have three leaves each, thin out to leave a plant every 15cm.
Keep plants well watered, especially during dry spells and harvest from summer onwards.
Time needed
20 minutes
You will need
General fertiliser
Leek seeds
Rake
Label and pencil
Watering can
Watch Monty Don planting leeks in the vegetable garden
