Growing Leeks from Sowing to Harvest
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.พ. 2017
- 💛 📖 See the GrowVeg book here: www.growveg.com/growveg-the-b....
Luscious leeks are trouble-free crops with a long harvest period that can extend right through winter.
Leeks need a long growing season but the end result is worth it - big, beautiful plants that withstand cold weather and can be harvested when there’s not much else available.
In this short video we’ll show you how to grow leeks every step of the way: from sowing and transplanting through to that magical moment they’re lifted out of the ground and transformed in the kitchen.
If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available from several major websites and seed suppliers:
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Let's just enjoy the video without hunting for a negative comment. I love his training
From A to Z coverage, even a recipe! You have the true heart of a teacher! Thanks so much...
By far the best Leek growing video I’ve seen and it’s only 5min long
👍
Thanks! 😀
Leak and potato soup with vermicelli and coriander, you can't beat it!
Sounds yummy!
I dried my leeks for the 1st time last harvest. Cut into 1 inch rounds and put into the dehumidifier. Great as a pizza topping, soups, stir fries or whatever your little heart desires. Thnx for the vid.
What a great idea!
Thank you for the dibber idea, I flipped my outdoor broom upside down and used the handle, it worked brilliantly and saved my back 🤓
So important to save your back - glad to have inspired!
Thank you. lovely to watch after the storm yesterday. I shall be in the greenhouse 😃
Your presenting is incredible :) Thanks for your passion and tips
Fantastic video, concise & covers everything. THANKS.
This the most creative vegi video I have seen yet!
Your videos helped me as a first time veg grower, thanks
Have been enjoying the leeks I started last August all winter,and am still enjoying them as they come ready to eat.
I am impressed with your leeks and a recipe at the end.
We save our toilet paper rolls and slip them over the leeks when they still fit, then leave them on for months. After harvest, the leftover paper stays in the soil.
I was thinking the same thing! Glad to know it works
That's a brilliant idea!
winkinc7
etvseril
what is the purpose for that?
There are two purposes: firstly, it shuts out light as the leek grows large enough to fill in the space and therefore will blanch, resulting in a more tender vegetable. Secondly, it acts as a deterrent for allium leaf miner as an added bonus!
This is my third year growing leeks and they are pretty easy. With the exception of harvesting them without getting dirt into every little crevasse. Your tips are going to be implemented when I harvest in a few weeks here in coastal Southern California.
Thanks for the tips for growing and the recipe idea. I love leeks.
Thank you Ben! I always learn a lot from you and love the garden planner!
Thanks Jill. :-)
Thank you! I'm trying leeks for the first time this season. I grow in an organic community garden in Emmaus Pennsylvania.
I just love this guy!! No nonsense advice. Easy to follow and honest! You have made my 'lockdown' intro to mini backyard growing into a now passion! Thanks
That is really fantastic to hear, I'm so pleased. I hope you continue to enjoy your new-found passion. :-)
Delicious Tips! Many great suggestions on planting and harvesting. I particularly like the 'blanching' idea - though my wife enjoys the green part almost all the way to the tip. We use ALOT of leeks - they are tasty in their own right, but also great substitutes for onions which we've not had much luck with in our soil. I have had issues: first year direct sowed two varieties - they only got to about 1/4" (7 mm) diameter. Puzzled I left them in through the winter and let grow the next season - they stayed green but did not grow at all! - weird. Then that season also planted some xplants from a nursery - THEY took off and got 3 feet (...excuse me 1 meterish) tall and were wonderful.
Thanks for another great video!
I absolutely love this video,amongst others too,fantastic advice Ben,your videos are to the point,good tips and I love videos that go from germination right through to harvest,with the care and upkeep too,why not involve a few more recipe suggestions also to all your videos.it brings another branch of knowledge to the learning tree👍
Thanks for the suggestion. We do include recipes from time to time, but will take this on board for future videos. Thanks for watching. :-)
Perfect timing. Just starting some leeks for a community bed and some for myself. Thanks for posting
Perfect timing for me too! Got my seeds yesterday, have never grown them. Am looking forward to it. Thanks for the info.
Thank you, this was a good introduction about leek growing 😀💐
I have wild leeks spawned from original plantings. I love the flowers, as do the bees so I leave a few each year... which in turn begets me tiny sweet leeks.. about the size of scallions really, but they are delicious. in past years, I have tried thinning them out but they tend to go to seed; so I just leave them in their natural clumps and tease some out when I want to use them. Health dictates lazy gardening now... but my leeks are still helping me out.
Young leeks are really delicious eaten like scallions, with a little dressing on them, or lightly steamed.
Everything I wanted to know!!!! Brilliant
Excellent video. I think I will try these now.
Great video and well explained. Thanks x
A very timely video. I will sow seeds today. I will try using the block method this year. We still have a good crop of last year's leeks in the ground for use as required. One of our favourite recipes is French Leek Pie, similar to the cream and cheese recipe in the video but in pasty. Decadent but yummy.
Does sound yummy!
I cut a inch off the bottom and leave them to start pushing up again and have planted and they have made a new crop
Thank you for the tip! I will try that!
That’s the perfect way to grow leeks, thank you for the video.
if you think about it, that's the way to grow anything.
Just about to go and buy some seeds and sow my very first leeks - ever! New allotment looks good, and I feel so excited! Thanks for the helpful advice - and how nice it is to read comments that are not racist, insulting, etc! Cheers all!
Did you know that leeks are usually cut and come again.
So next time you go to harvest a leek consider cutting it leaving 5cm of white still on the stalk and just wait a couple of weeks (depending on where you are) for it to regrow
Yes, that's a great idea - a second smaller crop. It's a bit like those 're-sprouting kitchen scraps' videos you see - but left in the ground.
I love the idea. Thanks
Thanks for this tip! i'm only growing a few in a container and this sounds like a great idea.
So I keep coming back to this awesome video. First at the oh let's learn. Then at the which leek seeds should I buy step. And every step along the way. Right now I'm planting up. Thank you for this amazing information. ❤️
You're very welcome Sarah - thanks so much for watching. :-)
I let a few leeks grow through the second year. Beautiful flowers loved by pollinators followed by free seed! I even allow some to seed themselves, popping up randomly.
You can keep onian seeds with same way..!😊😊
I take it these require two years to go to seed then.. That is good to know...
We had creamed leeks on the cruise ship and they were delicious! Great video
Sounds delicious! :-)
I tried growing leeks for the first time 2 years ago and lost the whole crop to allium leaf miner. I found out that this is a new pest in the US and that was about the year it was first identified, right here in Pennsylvania. Last year I grew them with an inexpensive black tulle fabric covering and they did well. Still got a few miners when I took off the fabric in late October; I should have left it on through November. Thanks for the video.
Good luck with this year's crop of leeks. Allium leaf miners can be deeply frustrating.
Sandra M. Do you know about grow veg's report a bug program? Here's hoping for a great growing season for everyone! Blessings ♥
co plant your plants that attract miners with marigolds and rosemary in between the rows, that will help repel them.
@@czechoslovakianwolfdog Thanks Jura. I’ll try that and use row cover as well. I still get some damage even with row cover, so using both methods should help even more!
Thank you! I will be growing leeks for the first time.
interesting and useful I'm growing leeks right now their only a about 3-5 cm right now so I'm a little while from planting them out :) which thanks to you video I'm not going to do to soon now
I'm new to growing leeks, I bought a punnet of seedlings today, they're all quite tiny. After watching this video I think I should probably up pot them all for now and let them grow stronger and larger before putting them in the ground. It's the first month of autumn here in Australia (Canberra) so I think I have time to do that before the really cold weather hits. I'm fairly new to vegetable gardening, I guess I will learn more as the years go by. Thanks for a great video.
You're welcome Annie. I think potting them on to grow on a bit more is probably a wise move.
Thanks. Good video. I am in Perth about to head into summer and have bought some Elephant Leek seeds. I am looking forward to trying as I have never grown leeks before.
Good luck with them - enjoy!
oh I love leeks...great video. New follower from Lethbridge Alberta Canada. Zone 3B
Awesome. Welcome!
excellent video! thank you.
I have had only 1 failed attempt on growing them last year, but I've loved eating them forever! My favorite is leek creamy soup: ground beef/pork, creamy sauce base couple cups of cream, water, leeks and a few potatoes - voila, deliciousness! I've eaten it for several of my birthday dinners over the years.
Totally yummy! :-)
Fantastic video, thank you!
I’m in Australia, and a new/intermediate level gardener whom is 90% reliant on pots and containers to grow anything (small unit). I’ve sort of been timid to try onions of any sort, had some bad experiences with bunching/spring onions and shied away from them after. I’ve recently become interested with trialling leeks as a experiment. But I will probably do this in September when it’s spring here in Oz. Also trialing garlic and ginger this year. My fingers are crossed.
I found this video informative and enjoyable. I find most of my guides for veg growing are from mostly English or USA based gardening TH-camrs. Keep up the great content
Thanks so much - and will do. Definitely try growing garlic - hugely rewarding.
You can grow about 4 leeks in a 10” pot. Actually, you can plant more but they will be smaller. If you grow too many, you will end up with a big root ball and will have to cut them apart. But, since you just eat the upper part, nothing is wasted.
Wish I had a tip to share, but I do it the exact same way as you detailed, and I always get amazing results. I guess the only thing I could suggest that most folks already know.. if you choose to get a headstart with leek plant starts, Dixondale farms sells Lancelot Leek starts that are hearty and delicious, and affordable to buy. Cheers!
Cheers for the recommendation Michael.
A Yank here attempting to grow leeks in the U.S. I have much to learn. I sowed seed straight into the ground in late May, and so far they are up about 3 inches and big around as a pencil lead. At this rate they might be the size of a ballpoint pen by the time we get snow
You're doing great. Depending on where you are, I would look to replant/thin them to give them enough room to grow bigger for winter.
Two seasons I kept them very well watered during our hot Southern California summer and they grew all season to the massive size you see in my channel thumbnail picture. If they dry out in the heat they can go to flower early.
Looks like you've grown really good-sized leeks Jeb. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the wonderful guidance as always. I'm just about to plant my leeks out in the ground just vacated by my potatoes. They've been potted on into bigger plant pots to 'hold' them for a while. I hope it works.
I'm sure it will work. Hope you get a good crop. :-)
Leeks and black olives stew- yum!
Great presentation, start through finish. I'm In! Subscriber #102, 016!
Welcome aboard!
I love your videos
when harvesting, you can cut the bottoms, soak in water that just barely touches the roots for a few days, and then re-plant. Saves some time for the next round of sewing.
Great tip, thanks Ethan!
What a great idea. How deep should you replant them?
@@jet8485 I would leave maybe a quarter inch uncovered, but I think you could probably go all the way up to the surface in terms of how much of the leek you cover, if you wanted to.
Ahhh I didn’t know about letting the soil fall in gradually! I’ve had leeks in the ground over winter waiting for them to get wider… now I know what I did wrong! Aaand I get to enjoy the ones I’ve been waiting on 😏
great video! thank you for this
Thanks
Fantastic video.!!
when you harvest, you must say, "I'm taking a leek"
Ha, ha! Very good!
My kids never fail to say "There's a leek in the boat!" at least once every single year when they help me harvest
Put your harvest into a bucket...my bucket has a leek!
🤣🤣🤣
I like to say that my potatoes are chitting themselves......
Rarely do I shout, "Nice root balls!", but I did. Thanks for showing us start to finish. It's so disappointing to watch an entire video and have it end just as the veg goes into the ground.
Glad you enjoyed the video. We've got a few other 'from sowing to harvest' videos in our collection - beets for example. Enjoy!
What grated cheese was used in the recipe?
Maybe too late for O.P. but to anyone else wondering, the grated cheese Brits usually mean, if its not specified, is Cheddar.
This video is saved.... thanks
Leeks are extremely hardy plants, I planted some last spring, harvested some last fall, and let the rest overwinter in the garden uncovered. Our winters are very cold with snow and the ground freezes hard for months, but yet this spring the leeks were still alive and are now growing again, and no sign of them going to flower.
What zone are you in John mizak? I'm in zone 5b & our winters are lone, the ground freezes solid.
@@donnasteward7670 I don't know about John Mizak, but my leeks overwintered in zone 4 with heavy snow cover (northern Michigan). Leeks are pretty amazing that way.
Great video
Great stuff.
Cheers Denis!
leek griddle scones to accompany a lamb and leek casserole, that's how we roll around South Yorkshire.
I'm a fan of square foot gardening in VERY raised beds. 4 leeks per square foot.
Thankfully Leeks can be grown in pots too, great for my small garden.
As you can imagine, I do not plant anything in rows, I do not have a farm nor a tractor.
I crowd plant everything, I harvest produce as baby veggies when they really need thinning, no waste.
Sounds like you have a really productive garden - fab work!
Very nice video! Your explanation was very clear, thanks for that!
Culinary tips:
1- I love salty fried leeks with roasted (or even raw) salmon!
2- Just try fired leeks (with salt), walnuts and a pint of beer as a snack! Delicious!
Let me know what you think about ;)
Thanks for that - I'll try your recommendations.
Rather than hilling or covering the stems with cardboard I have had good success by planting them in a large block quite close together ( about 2-3 inches). The sun finds it hard to penetrate and they naturally blanch. I also place straw or sugar cane mulch around the outside of the block to protect the outside ones from direct sunlight.
What a great idea!
Should mention that one part of getting used to the great out doors is the plants getting used to ultra red light.
Braise leeks in white wine, butter, and chicken stock. Use most of the white stems. Braise for half an hour. Delicious!
Sounds totally delicious!
I have been looking up "winter leek growing" and all of the videos I can find appear to be from the UK... For me winter is a very different world as I live in the wilderness of Northern Idaho in the US.
I quite enjoy leeks and after learning that they are good winter crops I checked through my seed packs and found two packages of them. Granted, right now I have one to two feet of snow on the ground (thankfully most of it has melted off no more 3 to 4 feet). I will likely have a few inches to a foot on ground for the next 6 to 8 weeks and then just intermittent snows after that.
I have been planning on trying to grow squash/zucchini and pumpkins in the edges of my forest this year and I went scouting the forest today for areas that will get good southerly light while still being protected by the tree branches. While I was out I noticed that all of the soil beneath most of the trees is wide open with no snow, the soil is also quite moist .
Could I plant leeks in under those trees where they good southern light exposure "now"? Would I need to germinate the seed inside and then maybe grow it outside in the covered porch like maybe in a milk jug greenhouse? Then transplant to soil under the trees and keep the milk jug atop it for protection for a while?
There must be some relatively cold areas in the UK where people have experience with leeks in an "actual" winter like situation. Any advice or ideas?
Hi Edward. I would start your leeks off in early to mid spring - so around March. Start them off in pots or seed flats under cover or inside, then plant them out once they are pencil thickness around about May, when it should be a lot warmer. Anywhere with good sunshine and well-drained but moisture-retentive soil would be great for leeks.
@@GrowVeg Part of my issue is that we can still be getting overnight lows in the low 20's the first week of July. Heck our overnight lows in the heat of mid august are commonly still in the low 40's though day time highs can be as high as 110F..
I had read that leeks will actually grow under the snow during winter as the snow actually insulates them. I was just looking for ideas that would allow me to protect them from the lower temps.
Trying to get a garden to grow when you can have freezing temps in July and then again as early as the third week of September becomes a bit of a challenge. Why I am working on trying to get some ideas on strategies for the more extreme cold tolerant plants.
I have some leeks started right now in milk jug containers here in the house. I have a massive amount of windows facing south and a large amount of growing area inside the house. (My house looks like a flowery jungle) lol... I was going to try and get them started inside as I figured the 58F to 60F temps inside would help seed germination. When they are going well I had planned to set them up sealed in the milk jugs out on the covered porch where I have the entire south wall made of old windows. The temps will be down to freezing or below often on the porch but daytime temps in the containers should generally be above freezing.
I am hoping to get them out under trees in my southern forest by the time they are getting too tall for the milk jugs. I was then going to do a wire frame covered over with a 20 gallon clear garbage bag to help protect them until June or so. Then remove the bags and mulch around them in June to (hopefully) protect them from any hard overnight freezes. I am going to put them under my fir and spruce trees and cut enough branches so that they get at least 8 hours or so of good sun each day. I will leave the other branches hanging to the ground to help protect from weather and animals (or so the theory goes at this point). lol...
I have been looking up every bit of information I can on winter growing of leeks but there is nothing that comes even close to what "we" call "winter" here in the Bitterroot mountains of northern Idaho.
I don't think there're better videos. Or if there're, well, I don't want them... this is good enough! I tried carrots last time and they're doing well now, so in my next garden season, I want to use leeks to confuse the carrot flies. hahahhhaha... thanks for the clues and the details.
No worries at all - thanks for watching. :-)
Leeks used to be trouble free, but my 2019 crop in Derby, UK was ruined by leek moth. This year I'll be covering with mesh which so we'll see how that works out.
Good luck with this year's leeks Andy.
I'm wondering how heat tolerant leeks are? I have a tray of seedlings almost ready to plant out, but I'm worried they won't make it through the summer here. Top temps during peak summer can get up to 38C! Great videos, really enjoy them..
They are a cool season crop, so they may struggle. Just be sure to keep them watered so they aren't struggling.
Leek and potato soup is the best soup ever just saying it as it is. Thats why I grow leeks I love leek and potato soup
Agreed - sooo good!
Here's another tip: Pick one of the leeks, grab a camera, hit the record button on the camera, spin the leek, put some Finnish background music, and your good to go!
We're trying to grow leeks for the first time this year, we just saw them in the grocery store...3 leeks for$5.00...wow!
That is extraordinarily expensive!
@@GrowVeg it is, I know! How much do they sell for in your area, do you know? We'll have to cherish every bite!
im growing leeks for the first time this year too. they had 4 starts for about 2bucks. but...i didnt plant them quite like this, so im hoping they take kindly to how they went in. fingers crossed for no weird pests either.
In January here in the UK I planted a few roots from supermarket leeks as I saw something on Facebook which said they would grow. I started them off in a disused plastic container in compost in the kitchen then planted outside and forgot. I could not believe the size of them in April. Will now wrap in cardboard to see what else happens! I am going to try parsnip and onion roots now as well.
Hatsune miku taking notes rn
1:15 cool!
I'm starting leeks for the first time ever. From the looks of it they are less care free then regular bulb onions. Im trying to figure out what grows best in my soil n stick with that. So far Collard Greens and Summer Squashed n sweet peppers do amazing in my soil.
Great to work out what grows best - hopefully leeks will join your list. :-)
thank you i did wonder why my leeks are always skinny :(
First time growing leeks! I just harvested the last two (miss them already!) to use in a butternut squash soup. Wow, what a treat having lovely things from the garden even in winter!
Next I’ll be starting my own from seed. Not sure of the variety I had grown...but, they seemed hardy.
If you grow a shorter season variety, what can you do to preserve the harvest?
I've never heard of preservation methods for leeks, but I expect they would freeze well. Since they hold well in the ground they are normally harvested as needed. They should last even into the spring if you've planted a late variety. To have leeks year-round it may be good to plant both an early variety and a late variety.
Yes, they would freeze well - you can buy pre-chopped leeks in the grocery store, so there's no reason you wouldn't be able to prepare and freeze leeks at home. Leeks are a great standby for soups - in fact I'll be enjoying a homemade leek and potato soup for lunch. :-)
It made me want to cry, seeing the leek greens go straight to the compost! They might be a bit leathery when fresh, but they cook down and almost disintegrate into soups, stocks and stews.
I'm growing leeks this year strictly for the greens, in fact. I can't eat the bulb of any onion, but I can eat the green part. So I'll be saving the greens, all chopped up in the freezer, and giving the white part to my parents.
It's super difficult to find leeks with enough of the greens attached, so that I can use them. Not to mention it costs about $2 a leek at my local grocery store.That's why I decided to grow my own this year.
But people, please, try the green part! It's delicious and oniony, just like the white part! And that makes leeks a 2-for-1 veggie for most gardeners! It's such a waste just tossing them in the compost without a second thought.
Yes indeed - don't waste the greens. I now use every part of the leek - the greens are delicious and great in soups etc.
Great video. I love leeks!
Do you think they will make it through the winter in a 5a zone?
Leeks are very hardy and cope well with the cold, but in your winters the ground is likely to freeze solid for weeks at a time, making it impossible to harvest the leeks. So ideally you'd need to lift what you need before this happens.
For a super duper soup, slice and saute fresh asparagus, then add it to the pan and blend it with your immersion blender and the above mentioned mix. Oh, I add a little garlic, too, and more cream then above so that its a soup. Yep, its darn good.
It does sound jolly good!
I never know when to stop watering them before harvesting
There's no need to necessarily stop watering. Just water consistently in hot, dry weather, or not at all if it's cool and wet.
One thing he missed on this one is if your leeks get rust DON'T put the leaves in the compost, burn them or throw them out also you shouldn't plant any onion family on that area for three years. There is no fungicide for rust.
He also missed out weather you can plant them before the last frost or not
@@ironian24 Most guides say plant out April-May, so I guess they are quite hardy, they go in very deep and that should offer more protection, you can always cover them with fleece for added protection.
Cool advice, thank you, just getting into gardening and enjoy good practical advice
Please give me the site for the garden guide when to start seeding
Hi there. You can find all the details on the Garden Planner, including the option to give it a free trial, at: www.growveg.com
During the hardening off process can I simply bring leek and onion seedlings back
in and put them in front of a window or do they have to go back under
the grow lights (as I do with peppers and tomatoes)? Thanks.
If you are putting them outside for longer periods, bringing them back in onto a sunny windowsill should be fine.
9 cm x 60 cm is also posible if you want to grow a large amount
I'm having a go at growing St George Leeks which are an early variety and I'm in Australia. I am a foodie first, so Leek is like garden royalty to me and my kitchen. Last season I grew Leeks in a clump as they came out of the seedling container. This season, I am going to separate them and plant them out individually. I will definitely try not to backfill the holes and let the water do the work. Wish me luck! Cheers!
Best of luck Craig. I’m sure you will ace it.
I have had exceptionally good luck with leeks. I have a small crop planted at the outside edge of my greenhouse (about 2 ft x 2 ft.) They thrive abundantly and weather over the winter. I have planted them only once and this is their 3rd year that they are producing. Do they reseed themselves? I had no idea that they would be this proliferate.
You would need to allow one or two plants to produce seeds, as leeks are usually harvested before they've had a chance to produce seed heads. But allow one or two plants to go to seed after the others have been harvested. The globe flowers are very pretty. You can then collect the seeds to sow either immediately or the following spring. Only collect seeds from open-pollinated, traditional varieties, not from F1 hybrids, which won't come true from seed.
Thanks! I needed to know that.
Would leek be feasible in climes such as Los Angeles? Late April sowing too late in the season?
I think in LA you should get away with sowing now as you can enjoy a longer growing season.
Awesome video, thank you!! I planted little leek seedlings about a month ago but did not did a proper hole like the how you've shown. Would it be best to dig them up (I only have about 15) and dig deeper or should I just put tubes around them now?
Thank you.
I'd leave them as they are now. You could just try banking up the earth around the stems as they grow to help them blanch that way.
@@GrowVeg okay, thank you!
Can you tell me when leeks can be planted? I know they take over 3 months, was wondering if I can plant in the fall?
The best time to plant them is early to midsummer. It is too late by fall as they need to do most of their growth before winter sets in. Unless you have mild winters of course, in which case you could probably get away with planting them later in the summer.
Anyone know how long leeks should take (from seed) to grow big enough to be planted out? Mine have been in the window indoors for months now and they're still tiddly.
Generally they get planted about two to two-and-a-half months from sowing.
You can eat the green leaves too. Don't cut/throw away!
Absolutely. Every part of the leek is edible.
I think there are different traditions, but yes, you can really eat all of it. :)
I have a question about the tip to cover the leeks with tubing or soil to get a nice white stem. Is there a taste or texture difference for the white stem verses letting it be green? I'm growing leeks for the first time and all of the ones I buy at the store have the white stem and I am wondering if it is actually preferable or just to make it look nice.
Thanks!
Essentially it's mainly about getting a nice, long stem. The green part is where the leaves 'start' and the stems end, so by encouraging a whiter stem you're also getting more of a useable part of the leek. Having said that, you can eat all parts of the leek, including the leaves, which chopped up fine enough could be added to a stir-fry, for example.
Thanks! I can't wait to try it out on my leeks!
Do you have a video on shallots? I know nothing about them or how to grow. Advice? ❤️❤️
Not yet Frances but that’s a great idea. They are grown similar to onions, from either seeds or sets.
Buy leek seed in bulk at 2lbs it’s very cheap. American flag leeks are awesome
How do you know if you are overwatering or not?
Some of my leeks have loose layers in their stalk. I wonder if I am watering too much and making them rot.
It's hard to overwater in hot, dry conditions, so I would usually err on the side of caution by offering plenty of water. You can tell if the soil is overly wet if it is continually saturated - heavy and claggy. Maybe let it dry off about an inch beneath the surface between waterings.
If my almost mature but not quite leeks get rust, can I still cook and eat the stalks or do they become inedible?
If you peel off the rust-affected area you could still eat the unaffected parts, yes.