Leek, Porro Tornado

Leek, Porro Tornado  Late and best suited for winter harvest, this excellent leek has a large, long white stem with dark green leaves and slightly swollen at the base. Excellent resistance to low temperatures. A good choice for full sized or baby leek production. 4 grams for about 150 seeds.

 

This vigorous variety produces high yields of large long white leeks that are slightly swollen at the base with green leaves and good flavour.  They can be harvested from early autumn as baby leek.  

A good disease resistant plant with a good tolerance to cold. Sow February - June.  Germination 14 - 18 days.  Loam - sandy soil that's alkaline or neutral.   Harvest October - February.  Companion Plants Carrots, celery and onions.  Do not plant with beans and peas.  Lift with a fork when they are needed from October onwards.  A good source of vitamin A and C  Use in soups and stews.

Leeks are a hungry crop that need well drained soil choose a sunny spot and dig the site in winter adding plenty of compost or well rotted manure. About a week before transplanting apply a general purpose fertilizer.  Sow during February indoors in seed trays sowing the seed thinly 1/2 "deep and covering with a layer of compost when the leeks have grown to around 6" cut back the foliage to 4".  Harden off the young plants and plant out at the end of April.

Sow the seed outdoors in a seed bed between March - June in holes 1/2" deep  1 1/2 " apart.  The young plants are ready for transplanting when they are around 7" high, water the bed the day before, trim the roots and the leaf tips.  Make a hole 5" deep with your finger then place the trimmed leek in the hole.  Water the hole do not fill the hole with soil.  Plant the young leeks 7"  apart and 14" between rows.

As the leeks grow gently draw soil up around the plants to increase the length of the stem.  Water well in dry weather.