How to grow leeks: the complete guide

Would you like to know our secrets for growing leeks like ours in your garden? In this article, you’ll learn all about growing delicious, flavourful leeks like the ones we grow in our Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults 😉 fields. You’ll also know how our leeks go from the soil to your plate and become the king of your recipes!

1. Prepare and sow leek seeds in the greenhouse for seedlings

Preparing the seedlings in our greenhouses is very important to get the leeks you’ll enjoy in your recipes off to a good start. Our various greenhouses on the farm are where the magic of leek growing begins. Each seed has its unique place in a seed tray, growing in our greenhouses' warmth and ideal environment. It’s as if each seed lived outside, so the temperature is perfect! In the comfort of our greenhouses, leek seedlings grow into young shoots that are pruned, watered and nurtured until the warm spring weather arrives.

Time of year: late February to May

Travailleur à la ferme qui arrose et qui entretient les semis de poireaux dans les serres — Photo credit: Élodie Kergal, Le Studio K

2. Transplanting leek seedlings in the field

When the soil in the fields thaws from May onwards, things get busy on the farm! All the young leek shoots are carefully planted by hand, one by one, in our fields. We treat these little shoots like leeks 😉!

Time of year: between May and mid-June

Semis de poireaux transplantés un par un dans les champs des Cultures de chez Nous à Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults — Leek seedlings in the field

3. Weeding the fields, reseeding and watering the leeks

During the summer, weeding is carried out mechanically and manually around the leeks to ensure the best possible growth in the ground. Watering is also essential, as is relining the plants. With this cultivation technique, we keep the white part of the leek (the stalk) away from light to enable the leeks to grow optimally.

Time of year: All summer long

Notre équipe fait du désherbage manuel dans le champs — Weeding in the fields

4. Harvesting leeks

Once they’ve reached their full potential, leeks are machine-harvested in mid-August or early September, depending on the variety. Every year, we harvest over 9 million leeks in our fields! All these leeks end-to-end represent some 1,385 kilometres, or just over 5 times the distance between Montreal and Quebec City! These local leeks grown with passion end up on your plate 😊.

Time of year: mid-August or early September to mid-November

Un agriculteur récolte les poireaux dans les champs à l\u0027aide de la machinerie spécialisée — Harvesting leeks

Leek cultivation checklist

Leek varieties: 3 colours for 3 species

There are 3 main species in the leek family. Although they differ slightly in colour, the same great taste remains with every bite! To recognize them:

Summer species with light foliage.
The autumn species is recognizable by its dark green foliage.
The winter species can be identified by its pronounced bluish-green foliage.

Growing leeks at different times of the year

To grow leeks like ours, keep in mind the different times of the year for perfect leeks:

End of February to May: sow seeds.
May to mid-June: plant young shoots in the garden or the field, as we do.
Throughout the summer: water and reseed the plants to cover the white part and weed around the leeks.
From mid-August or early September to mid-November: harvest leeks!