🧅VegetablesVery hardy
When to plant Leeks
Default: central Europe (50°N)· 50.0°N
Last spring frost: 5 May
First autumn frost: 5 Oct
Frost-free season: 153 days
Calendar windows
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
Sow indoors
24 Feb – 17 Mar
Plant out
26 May – 14 Jul
Harvest
2 Oct – 11 Dec
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Light
Full sun
Water needs
Moderate
Frost hardiness
Very hardy
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Life cycle
Biennial
Spacing
15 × 40 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
Days to maturity
120–180
Containers
Needs open ground
Plant family
Alliums
Soil temp. to sow
≥ 8°C
Practical notes
Drop the seedlings into 15 cm dibbed holes and water them in without backfilling — the hole blanches a long white shank by itself.
Knowing when to pick
Lift from autumn right through winter as needed — leeks hold in frozen ground and only start to run to seed in spring.
Storing the crop
The ground is the best store. Once lifted, expect two weeks in the fridge, or chop and freeze.
Crop rotation
Leave 3 years between allium crops — white rot builds up quietly and is permanent.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: leeks diseases and pests (4) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.