When to sow Leek in the UK
Leek is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Leek is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant's timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| East Anglia | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Northern England | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Northern Ireland | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late February to late March | early March to late May | early May to early July | late August to late March |
Growing notes
Very hardy and can be left in the ground through winter frosts, which sweeten the flavour; a slow, space-hungry crop so a poor fit for small containers.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 18 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 25
- Days to maturity
- 180 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.2 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 30 cm
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- allium leaf miner
- leek rust
- bolting after cold spells
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for leek.