Summer leek Large American Flag is a very reliable leek variety. This very early variety produces superior leeks with a delicious and mild flavour. They have blueish green leaves and white stems of about 25 cm in lenght. Earth up the leeks to keep the stems whiter. You can harvest from the summer till the beginning of winter.
Leek is a very healthy and versatile vegetable. Leek contains a.o.: vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B11, C and K. And the minerals: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphor, potassium, sodium and zinc. It also contains a lot of fibre, nutrients and little calories. The concentration of healthy nutrients is highest in the green part of the leeks. You can cook, stir-fry, stew, braise, cook in the oven, steam and add it to soups, stews, Indonesian fried rice dishes and bami, mashed potato stews, casseroles and as a vegetable. The flavour of leek combines very well with a.o.: garlic, chicken, beef, pork, minced meat, tuna-fish, salmon, cheese, potatoes, apple, eggs, onions, parsley, lemon, curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, chillies, soy sauce, oregano, dill, pasta and red wine. Leek is also very delicious in combination with several other vegetables like: lettuce, carrots, sweet peppers, courgette, tomatoes, broccoli, celeriac, sweet corn and spinach. Non hardy annual.
Soaking: 24 hours
Indoor sowing: middle of January - end of March
Germination: 14 -18 days
Germination temp.: 15 - 26 °C
Sowing depth: 1 - 1½ cm
Plant distance: 20 cm
Transplanting: end of May - middle of July
Plant position: sunny
Harvest period: end of July - middle of November
The sowing of leek is divided in 2 different groups: summer- and early autumn sowings or late autumn- and early winter sowings. This sowing guide is for the summer- and early autumn sowing.
Sow indoors from the middle of January. Sow in loose, airy and moist pottingsoil. Sow in trays and cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. You can soak the seeds for a better and quicker germination approx. 24 hours prior to sowing in tepid water. Keep moist and warm. Make sure the temperature is as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Harden the seedlings of, by putting them outdoors during the day for 10 - 14 days from the beginning of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. After this you can put the seedlings, when they're about as thick and as long as a pencil, outdoors in the soil. Remove 1/3 of the top and 1/3 of the roots to stimulate the growth.
Put them in a hole approx. 5 cm wide and 10 - 15 cm deep. Keep them approx. 20 cm apart. Pour water in the holes to wash the roots. You need to earth the stems of the leeks up, to maintain a nice white lower part of the stems. Be careful you don't put soil between the leaves of your leeks.
You can harvest these leeks from the end of July till the middle of November. These summer- and early autumn leeks needs less time to grow. These leeks are long, thin and mostly light green in colour. This leek has a bad resistance against cold and frost and can kept frozen to store. Harvest the leeks a fresh as possible and use a pitchfork to get them carefully out of the soil.
