Content
Every year, gardeners discover new varieties of crops. But sometimes even famous vegetables become a discovery. Leek has become such a pleasant surprise for lovers of healthy food. In summer cottages, it is rarely cultivated. The reason is very commonplace - lack of information. Few can share the experience of growing. And the widespread information about the finickyness of leeks stops vegetable growers from trying to get their own crops.
Knowing about the benefits, juiciness and excellent taste of leeks, they are bought in supermarkets, although this is not cheap. We will describe in detail the process of growing leek seedlings at home. We will separately dwell on the timing of when to plant leeks for seedlings. You need to know this in order for culture to take its rightful place in summer cottages.
Benefit for health
A little about the nutritional properties of leeks. The content of nutrients in it is very balanced. Pearl onions, as the botanists call leeks, are prized for their composition and versatility. It is included in a variety of dishes and preparations. What substances allowed the plant to take such an honorable place? It will be tedious and long to name everything, it will lead us away from the purpose of the article. Therefore, we will briefly list the most famous groups necessary for the human body:
- complex of vitamins;
- a whole list of essential oils;
- list of mineral salts;
- trace elements;
- proteins;
- cellulose.
Nutritionists recommend that people with metabolic and joint diseases be sure to include leeks in their menu.
There is also a contraindication to the use of a useful product - gastritis and ulcerative manifestations in the stage of exacerbation. These limitations are due to the large amount of essential oils that can irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract.
Description and important characteristics
This is a perennial crop, the development cycle of which from seed to seed takes 2 years. In the first year, the formation of a rosette of leaves and a productive organ - a false stem - takes place.
It is the bleached false stem of the onion that is the main part of the plant for which it is grown. They eat the “leg” at any stage of development.
The leaves of the leek are flat, rather long (80 cm) and wide (up to 6 cm) with a waxy coating. The color of the leaf can vary in different shades of green. At the bottom, the leaves are tube-shaped. With these pipes, they close with each other and form a juicy "leg". The diameter (2-6 cm) and length (10-60 cm) of the tube depend on the variety.
The plant does not form the usual bulbs for us. In the first year, the onion grows false stems, which are the main value for vegetable growers. In the second year, the plant produces a peduncle and leek seeds ripen.
Gardeners usually do not grow pearl onions for seed. You can freely buy them by choosing the most productive varieties or hybrids. Leek seed germination lasts for 3 years.
The root system of pearl onions is very powerful. If, after harvesting, the onion roots are left in the soil, then they enrich the soil well with organic matter.
Leeks are stored for about six months, while fully retaining their properties. This quality makes it possible to get fresh greens almost all winter.
Like most plants, pearl onion varieties are divided according to the ripening period:
- Early maturing (summer). Ripe onions are harvested at the end of summer - August.The stem of early maturing varieties has a stupid or straight shape, the leaves of a light green color are located at an acute angle to the stem. The difference between the early types of leeks is the loose arrangement of leaves and intolerance to cold temperatures. Therefore, direct seed production of the culture is developed only in the southern regions. An example of a summer variety is the “Bulgarian giant”.
- Mid-season or autumn. The shape of the stems resembles a thick cylinder, some have only a slight thickening in the lower part. Leaves are more intense in color, green or gray-green, powerful and denser. Collect harvest of medium types of leeks in the first decade of October. In winters with a mild climate, plants are left in the ground until spring, then you can get seeds next year. Varieties Karantansky and Sizokryl.
- Late ripening or winter. They grow much more slowly than other varieties of leeks, but they are characterized by increased cold resistance. In regions with mild winters, harvesting is carried out from October to April. The false stem in later species is short and thickened in the lower part. The leaves are covered with a waxy bloom, gray-green in color with an original fan-shaped arrangement relative to the stem.
Consider the main method of growing leeks - seedling. This is due to the length of the growing season of the crop, which lasts 6-7 months. Direct sowing into the ground can not wait for the harvest under the climatic conditions of the middle lane. Therefore, the main part of the article will be devoted to the question of how to grow leeks through seedlings.
Seedling growing stages
The first question that growers ask is how to properly plant leeks for seedlings? To grow quality leek seedlings, you need to follow certain steps:
- Determine the timing of planting leeks for seedlings. This is an important point to which the rest of the actions are tied. The main thing is to prevent the seedlings from overgrowing.
- Choose the desired variety and purchase high-quality planting material.
- Prepare the soil for sowing leeks for seedlings. The soil mixture must meet the requirements of the crop for composition, nutritional value and structure.
- Choose convenient containers and prepare them at the time of sowing seeds.
- Carry out pre-planting preparation of leek seeds.
- Sow leek seeds for seedlings.
Each stage has its own nuances, which we will focus on.
Determine the sowing time
The sowing time is chosen depending on the planned harvest time. If mature stems need to be obtained in early autumn, then planting leek seeds appointed at the end of February or beginning of March. Then, already at the beginning of April, you can move the leek seedlings for cultivation in the greenhouse. To plant seedlings in open ground under a film, sowing seeds is scheduled for the end of March.
If it is more convenient to sow seeds in the fall, then be sure to check the date with the weather forecast. It is necessary to land before the onset of frost.
Naturally, when choosing, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions, air temperature in the growing region. Much of the success depends on this. In the northern regions, you should not start planting leeks for seedlings in 2019 earlier than April-May. It will already be possible to plant seedlings in open ground in June. In the central regions, sowing begins in mid-February, planting in a greenhouse is carried out in mid-April, and in open ground in the last decade of May.
Choosing seeds
Optimally - buy a bag of seeds from a well-known manufacturer in a specialized store. In real conditions, varietal characteristics will be slightly weaker, so it is better to opt for high-yielding hybrid varieties. The manufacturer gives recommendations on cultivation techniques, so be sure to read them before buying. Then you can be sure that you will provide the plant with the necessary conditions and care. For planting leek seedlings in spring
take early maturing varieties to ensure that you wait until harvest.
Preparing the soil
Seedlings of leeks when grown at home have certain requirements for the soil. The nutrient mixture is prepared from equal parts of compost, turf, peat and humus. The composition shows that the soil should be nutritious and loose. If planting leeks for seedlings is planned in peat, then add 5 kg of moistened substance:
- dolomite flour - 250 g;
- double superphosphate - 50 g;
- urea - 30 g;
- potassium sulfate - 40 g.
Leek seedlings need trace elements, so if there is an opportunity to purchase micronutrient fertilizers in tablets, then add them according to the instructions.
Container preparation
Leek seedlings do not tolerate picking well, so you need to take a responsible attitude to the choice of containers for seedlings. The depth of the container should be at least 10-12 cm, because the plant has long roots.
When the decision is made to plant leeks for seedlings in boxes, you must not exceed the recommended seeding rate. In boxes measuring 35 cm x 50 cm, you can place no more than 3 g of leek seeds. There is a good way out - cut the soil in a box into cubes, then sow 3-4 seeds in each. And it is best to sow leeks for seedlings in small planting containers with cells.
Before sowing leeks with seeds for seedlings, the prepared containers are disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and dried.
Seed preparation for sowing
To get friendly and high-quality leek seedlings from seeds at home, you need:
- disinfect the seeds for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, preheating it to a warm state;
- harden for 30 minutes in cold water;
- soak in a damp cloth for a week;
- dry and start sowing.
After completing all the preparatory measures, you can start growing leeks through seedlings.
Sowing seeds
Consider the next step - how to plant leeks for seedlings.
First, the container for future seedlings is filled with soil, tamped a little and moistened.
The trained seeds are sown in rows in boxes. When growing leeks from seeds, they are placed at a distance of 5 cm from each other. The seeding depth is no more than 1.5 cm. When planting in separate containers, 2-3 seeds are planted in one. The crops are carefully covered with foil and transferred to a place where you can maintain a temperature of + 22 ° C ... + 25 ° C and provide the seedlings with enough light. Periodically, the film is removed and the soil is moistened. Usually the first shoots appear in 10-15 days.
As soon as the first shoots appear, the film can be removed completely and the temperature can be reduced to
+ 17 ° C during the day and +12 ° C at night. They maintain such a temperature regime for a week so that the seedlings do not stretch out. Then, the daytime indicator is again increased to + 20 ° C, and the nighttime to + 14 ° C. They maintain this balance throughout the entire development period of the seedlings.
Planting leeks for seedlings, useful video:
There is one more way to mention how to grow leeks from seeds. This is growing on ridges. Seeds are sown directly into open ground. The timing of when to sow leeks for seedlings using this technology differ from those discussed above. It is important to consider the temperature of the soil here. It should not be below + 2 ° C. How to plant leeks outdoors to get a good harvest? It is necessary to pay special attention to soil preparation. Leeks do not grow on heavy clay soils. He needs a loose, light, air-permeable soil with the addition of leaf humus. The reaction is slightly acidic or neutral. It is advisable to take the land for seedlings under fruit trees, willows or acacia trees. It will not be possible to get a full harvest for humus from poplar and oak leaves.
Seedling care
It is important not only to sow the seeds, but also to know how to grow healthy leek seedlings. Consider the main points of care for leek seedlings. In addition to maintaining the temperature regime, it is very important:
- Watering.For irrigation, use exclusively warm water and only when the top layer dries. Overflow can cause such a formidable disease of seedlings as "black leg". You need to moisten the soil carefully, trying not to damage the delicate stems.
- Top dressing. Leeks respond well to organic fertilizers, so it is customary to water the seedlings with "compost tea". This is how vegetable growers call a weak infusion of compost in water (1:10). You can prepare a solution of mineral fertilizers "Agricola" (vegetable) "Kemira-Universal".
- Pruning leaves. To ensure good growth of the roots and to achieve a thickening of the stem, the leaves of the seedlings are pruned. This procedure can be done once every two weeks, leaving a leaf length of 8-10 cm.
- Airing. Mandatory requirement. So the seedlings stretch less and begin to prepare for hardening.
- Hardening. It is necessary for leek seedlings, starting 5-6 days before planting in a permanent growing place.
If the seedlings are sown on time, then planting the leeks in a permanent place is optimal after 50 days.
Planting seedlings and further care
The land on the site is fertilized in the fall, the most desirable predecessors for leeks are potatoes, legumes, cucumbers, cabbage.
They choose a place for the ridges and prepare the soil. The earth is dug up, leveled and grooved. The optimum depth is 15 cm, the row spacing is left at 20 cm. The seedlings are placed in the furrows at a distance of 15 cm - 25 cm (depending on the parameters of the variety).
When planting, wood ash can be added to the furrows.
The leaves and roots of the seedlings are shortened by a third, the seedlings are watered immediately after planting. As soon as the diameter of the stems reaches 1 cm, it is necessary to add soil around the plants.
Basic care consists of:
- Hilling plants. This technique allows the plant to form a well-bleached leg.
- Weeding and loosening. Such actions save the plant from weeds and retain nutrients in the soil. It is good to mulch the plantings with straw or peat.
- Top dressing. Use organics 3 weeks after planting. Then mineral compositions - once every 2-3 weeks. In the spring, take complexes with a high nitrogen content, in mid-July - phosphorus and potassium.
- Thinning. Necessary for thickened plantings.
We examined the technology of growing leeks from seeds, when to plant and how to care for seedlings. We stopped in detail at the stage of how to sow leeks for seedlings. Now you can grow a nutritious vegetable on your own on your own.
