I've been sorting through my Leek seed collection and they all look very similar to me! Some are described as "blue" or "yellow", some boast about their size but basically, a leek is a leek, whichever way you look at it.
Do you have a favourite leek please?
I'm also wondering whether they can be sown in autumn for overwintering, instead of January onwards as the seed packets advise. If some onions can be sown now, why shouldn't leeks?
Another veg that I find all taste the same, no matter what variety.
I’ve always grown Leek Musselburgh which are perfectly good but not the longest leeks. They’re kinda short & fat.
Last couple of years I’ve grown Leek lyon2 ( prizetaker) these are nice long leeks. A lot less soil in them.
leek autumn giant I’ve not tried growing yet , but I’m looking forward to trying them. I’ve grown another giant variety before Bulgarian leeks. I really like these for length. Lyon & Bulgarian not overly fat. Just well proportioned.
I've never had much success with leeks, merely through neglect. I sow 'em then forget 'em, plant the babies out at totally the wrong time nd then can't be bothered to traipse up to the patch in the bad weather to dig and clean them for use. I am going to plant Veggie's Babbington leek bulbils this year, once I've decided where they can go and stay for their forever home and if they're still viable.
After trying many different types including the 'blues' and Bulgarian varients I always come back to Mussselburgh which are hardy and I think a strongly flavoured leek? The comparative shortness of the white section isn't a problem for me as I use a goodly ammount of the green leaf part when I cook them.
I also grow a show variety of leek from leek 'grass' each year, purely because I can and these would be planted at this time of year. The problem with this, as with any cloning, (which is basically what I am doing) is that regression sets in and the yeilds deplete as the years go on!
The showmen counteract this by growing the same strain from seed every few years.
I'm terrible at leeks. Must try harder for next year.