Leek Seeds 30g

Egyptian kurrat, the salad leek (Allium ampeloprasum Kurrat Group, syn. Allium kurrat), is one of Egypt's oldest leaf crops, cultivated here for at least around 2,500 years. Unlike the European leek it forms only small bulbs and is prized instead for its slender green leaves, which carry a mild-to-strong garlic-leek flavour. Grown as a cut-and-come-again crop, it gives you fresh, aromatic greens for soups, omelettes, stews and salads season after season.

Planting

Sow directly into the permanent bed about 1 cm deep (roughly 0.6-1.3 cm). In Egypt you can sow almost year-round apart from the harshest heat and cold, with the main windows being August-November and late January-April. Seed germinates best at about 18-22 C, usually within 5-10 days under good conditions and up to 7-14 days otherwise. Sow rows roughly 15 cm apart, or space transplants 10-15 cm apart in rows 35-45 cm apart. Choose a full-sun spot offering at least about 8 hours of bright light, in fertile, well-drained loam or clay at pH 6.0-7.0.

Fertilizing

Work organic manure into the bed before sowing. About a month after planting, feed with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (such as ammonium sulfate, calcium superphosphate and potassium sulfate). Because the leaves are cut repeatedly, side-dress with nitrogen after each harvest to push fresh regrowth; in a home garden a balanced 10-10-10 side-dressed mid-season works well.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist, supplying around 2.5 cm of water per week, since the shallow roots (about 45-60 cm deep) dislike both drought and waterlogging, and excess water invites fungal disease. Watch for thrips and onion maggot, and for rust, fusarium wilt and pink root rot. Take the first cut about 1.5-2 months after planting, snipping leaves around 2 cm above the soil, then harvest again every 3-5 weeks as they regrow over a stand life of roughly 18 months.