One of the sweetest onions you'll ever taste is the leek. In the grocery store, these carry a hefty price--all the more reason to grow your own.
Leeks take a long time to grow, so you're better off starting seed indoors or buying them as transplants. Once they grow to the size of a thin pencil, they're ready to be planted outdoors. Find a location that has full sunshine, and put them in good organic soil.
To begin planting, dig a narrow trench about four inches deep. Remove the leeks from their container and carefully pull apart each stem. Place them in the trench, spacing them about eight inches apart. Then cover them with soil. Remember, leeks are a cool-season crop, so the best time to plant them is early spring, before the last frost.
Once they're planted, it's important to be very consistent with watering. Otherwise, the leeks will develop a tough skin. To help conserve moisture, add a layer of mulch, and don't forget they'll appreciate a feeding every few weeks.
If you've ever grown a leek, you know that soil can get trapped between the layers of skin. To prevent this, just place an empty toilet-paper roll over the leek and insert it into the ground. Just mound the soil up around the cardboard, leaving just the top exposed. Over time the toilet paper roll will decompose but the leek will stay nice and clean.
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