Best time to harvest Leeks?

[claire wood]

I have been growing leeks in my allotment for the first time and some of the plants have flowered. What I would like to know is the right time to harvest them.

[Kirk]

I would pull out any that have flowered and use them.
They have "bolted" - well assuming you planted them from seed earlier this year.??

They should be bi-annual.
Grow to a nice size in the first year, then they flower and produce seed in the second year.
Bolting means they have panicked and flowered early, as in year 1 not year 2.

I have no idea how the bolted one will taste but after flowering the plant usually falls over and dies. It has done what it should and produced flowers and hopefully seeds.

So basically pull them now and use them in something.
Any others that look like bolting you should use as well.

I wonder if the cold August has caused them confusion.

In general they are normally harvested later, like Oct, Nov, Dec and even into early next year. I normally decide that they are big enough and up they come.

[Chris172]

HI

I harvest my leeks when i need them and they are a great as a late substitute for onions in the spring.

i was harvesting my leeks last year from december until april when i dug the remainder up and froze ready for soups

great veg but make sure you plant seeds early i do about early february and have had great crops past three years

happy gardening


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[Bill HH]

I plant mine out quite closely together but then harvest every other one as baby leeks then let the others grow on. I have been eating them since the end of july. The ones left will go on into next spring I hope. I have had a few bolt, must be the weather I have not had it happen before. Once they bolt they are best used in soup because they can be tough.

[jacob]

Well at least it's not just me with bolting leeks...

[claire wood]

Thanks for your advice I will try them and let you know how they taste.

[Kirk]

At least yours have grown to bolting size, I gave up this year with leeks. After a first good year I had 3 or 4 in a row where they never developed beyond pencil thickness, many never make it to pencil thickness. So this year I didn't bother.

[sparrow100]

This is the first year I have managed to get leeks past 'chive' status. I am really happy with them - but by crikey they are strong! Had the first 3 (46 left, and yes, they are carefully counted!) and they had me weeping as I was preparing them for soup.

[Kristen]

by crikey they are strong! Had the first 3 (46 left, and yes, they are carefully counted!) and they had me weeping as I was preparing them for soup.

I've never had that ... either they are a strong flavoured variety? or my guess would be that they have not put on enough bulk and so are more "concentrated" than normal. Mine have more flavour than shop bought ones, but aren't "pungent", like Onions, as such.

[SammieB]

A couple of mine have flowered too. Leek and potato soup it is then!