Plant and maintain leeks. – Blog

If you like intense flavors, leeks are likely to be on your favorite vegetables list. Cultivated and appreciated mainly in Oltenia and Moldova, leeks are one of the characteristic vegetables of our gastronomy. It can be kept fresh during the winter and combine it with a snack plate, it is a real delight. If you took into consideration the idea of ​​starting a harvest of leeks, find out what conditions this vegetables requires and how to perform its plantation.

Characteristics of leeks

The leek is a vegetable plant that, in our country, has a two -year cycle. In the first year of life, the leek develops a false stem that grows at a maximum height of half a meter, while the real stem has a shape of the disc. Like onions, leeks have a fascinating roots system.

A difference between the two is the fact that leek bulbs are smaller than onion. The leek leaves are wide, curved and covered with frost. In the second year of life, the leek develops a floral peduncle that can reach 2 m in height and has a globular inflorescence that contains small greenish white flowers inside.

Environmental conditions for the cultivation of leather.

If you want a harvest of leeks, one of the requirements of this system is light. The leek must be placed in an area of ​​the garden where the sun gives it during the day. At the same time it can also grow in semi -Shade areas.

The leek has no specific temperature requirements, but it feels better when the temperatures descend between 15 and 25 ° C. It also resists at low temperatures, but when they fall from -4 ° C the cultivation of the leek begins to be affected.

The seeds germinate from temperatures of 3 ° C. Germination occurs in about 30 days at temperatures of 3-5 ° C. The ideal temperatures for this process to be performed in 10-12 days are between 15-20 ° C.

The floor suitable for the cultivation of leeks is fertile, with a good drainage and well loose. You can cultivate successful leeks in Franco, sandy, sandy or alluvial soils. As an ideal pH value, it can be between 6.2 and 7.

As for water, leeks need as much as possible. A revan terrain is ideal for cultivating leeks. It will also be necessary to guarantee correct and regular irrigation to enjoy quality production. In years of drought, the harvest will not be of good quality if the ground is not irrigated. The most effective method for watering leek crops is the sprinkler. However, too high a level of humidity must be avoided because the excess of water damages the cultivation of the leek, promoting the appearance of the mushrooms and the diseases that cause.

Before cultivating leeks, it is better to take into account the previous harvest when choosing the plantation area. Therefore, the best precursors of this species are tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, beans, peas, aubergines and cauliflower. It is also recommended to rotate the cultivation of leeks once every 3 years.

Plant and multiply the leeks in the garden and on the field.

Leeks multiply seedthat you can buy in specialized stores. Sowing on the field is performed in the spring, usually in April. For a hectare of land, about 33 kg of seeds are used and the depth will be sown is 1.5 cm and a distance between about 10 cm of plants, respectively 0.3 m, up to a maximum of 1 m between file. Depending on the way in which the weeds (manual or mechanized) is performed. After sowing, the earth must be wrapped so that the seeds are in contact with the earth.

The preparation of the soil works for the plantation of the cultivation of the leek are carried out both in spring and autumn. In autumn, the following works are performed: terrestrial land -which will guarantee flat soil and eliminate the remains of the previous harvest -, subscriber to the background and Araggio at an approximate depth of 29 cm.

In the spring the ground is attached, fertilization with a commercial product that contains the three essential elements (phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen) and the application of Herbicides To eliminate weeds.

When the cultivation of the leek is established through seedlings, the sowing was carried out from mid -May to mid -June. The same distance between files and plants is maintained as in the case of the harvest established by the seeds. The seedlings are modeled before planting, reducing the roots to a length of about 3 cm and the leaves are reduced to a third of their length, so the roots are mixed to avoid dehydration. The depth of the planting of the seedlings is 10 to 15 cm.

The seedlings used must have been grown in cold nurseries or seeds. The time in which the seedlings will be sown is the month of March. The seedlings reach about 50-60 days from the date of sowing and at this moment their stems should already be 15 cm high and have about 3-4 sheets.

Care of the cultivation of leeks.

The cultivation of the leek requires fertilizers and there are several Types of fertilizers That you can successfully use to enrich the soil in which you hit this vegetable. Regardless of the selected option, it is important to take into account the instructions for the use specified in the product and not exceed the required dose. After 10 days – 2 weeks from the plantation of leeks, it is possible to apply a first series of fertilizers based on ammonium nitrate.

In addition to the commercial fertilizers who provide a balanced solution for the soil and the optimal contribution of nutrients, it is also possible to use organic fertilizers to pay for leeks. If an organic fertilizer has not been applied to the harvest before the growth of leeks, it is advisable to apply this type of fertilizer, combined with ammonium nitrate. For a hectare of land about 20 tons of organic fertilizers and 300 kg of ammonium nitrate are needed.

There are many diseases and parasites that can influence the cultivation of the leek, therefore it is recommended to apply phytosanitary treatments and herbicides to avoid unwanted effects. Among the most common plagues of the leek we find the stem of the stem and common journeys, and among the diseases that are in the cultivation of the leek we remember the rot and the rot. There are a series of similarities between them. So try to cultivate onions and leeks, also based on the environmental conditions that both species prefer and, if you have already cultivated onions, it is worth trying to grow leeks. If all the necessary steps are followed to grow and maintain crops, an hectare of earth can produce a harvest of up to 40-50 tons. For further advice on indigenous cultures and much more, be careful of our blog.