Alliums

Knowing when to start leeks from seed to get a big harvest is one of the holy grails of vegetable gardening.  In this article, I’m going to share some family secrets to the perfect leek, and some wisdom of my own from trial and error. Fundamentally though, this article aims to give you a definitive…

On paper, leeks and garlic should grow well together, but in a no-dig garden, particularly on small plots where space is at a premium, there are better ways to use every inch of your soil than inter-planting competing species.

Beans and onions shouldn’t be planted together. That’s the conventional wisdom. It’s accepted in gardening textbooks, and it’s taught in horticultural schools across the world, but, why can’t onions and beans be planted together? From my experience, beans and onions work well together, so I was amazed to learn that there was in fact a…

Planting garlic is an exciting time of the year. If you live in a place with harsh winters, like I do, it’s best to plant it in early spring, so it will be one of the very first crops you put in the ground. Growing garlic is easy, but if you’re a beginner, it might…

Garlic tells you when it wants to be harvested, but there are a few ways to plan ahead so you know when to harvest garlic well in advance and don’t get caught off guard. Firstly, almost all garlic takes a little over 8 months from planting to harvest, so if you plant it in October…

Growing long white leeks is probably the most rewarding prize for any passionate gardener, but there are so many tricks to get to grips with that knowing how to grow big leeks can feel more than a little overwhelming. The first time I grew leeks I was at university, with my first allotment. After seven…