Allium
Leek
Allium ampeloprasum (Porrum)
Sweet winter staple — earth up the stems for blanched white shanks.
Full sun
Regular
Rich, deep
Easy
Yes
Stems
Biennial
Hardy
5 L
15 cm
Root
Carrot
Leeks deter carrot rust fly with their onion-family sulfur compounds, protecting carrots from this major pest.
Vegetable
Celery
Leek's onion-family sulfur compounds repel celery leaf tier moths while both tolerate partial shade.
Leafy green
Lettuce
Leek's tall growth shades lettuce from summer heat, reducing bolting, while lettuce's shallow roots don't compete with leek's deep root system.
Situations where this plant is a reliable fit — from someone's kitchen sill to a wind-blown rooftop.
Balcony
A few pots on a flat outdoor perch — some sun, some wind.
Ladder planter
A tilted step-ladder with a shallow tray on each rung — sun-facing, five tiers of herbs, salad and strawberries in the footprint of one pot.
Wooden crate
A shallow wine or veg crate lined with hessian — perfect for salad and shallow-rooted herbs.
Raised bed
A traditional plot or timber-sided bed — deepest root run, widest planting choice.
Water jar
A jam jar of water on the sill — no soil at all. Regrow from kitchen scraps.
Root in water, transfer to soil
21 days
★★★★☆
Yes
How to do it
Save the rooty white base (3 cm). Stand in 1 cm of water, refresh every 2 days. New green growth in a week; pot up after 10 days.
What to expect
Pencil-thin baby leeks for soup in 3 weeks; full leeks if planted out in autumn.
Honest note
Don't expect supermarket-size leeks indoors — but the green tops are usable.
Where to source
Get growing in United Kingdom
Shop local first
The best plants come from a real nursery, and the best trowel comes from the old-fashioned ironmonger down the road — people who know their stock and can advise. Try local first, both for the plant and the kit. It keeps small growers and small hardware shops alive.
Searching near London
For pots, compost, seed trays, twine and other kit — Amazon has the essentials if the local option isn't right. Not a plant nursery; use the local map above for the plant itself.
Some links may earn us a small commission — at no cost to you.