How to grow leeks with the Paperpot Transplanter

Paperpot settings for leeks

Use 6″ paper chain pots, drop one seed per cell with the Kwik Klik Slide, and transplant 2 rows on a 30″ bed, 15″ apart. Plan on about 2 trays per 100′ bed.

Paper chain pot	6″
In-row spacing	6″
Rows per 30″ bed	2 (15″ apart)
Trays per 100′ bed	2
Kwik Klik top plate	Paperpot 264, 1.5 mm thick, 2.5 mm holes
Seeds per cell	1
Seed per 100′ bed	380 seeds (+/-)
Cultivars	Tadorna
Germination	72 hours at 80°F
Days to transplant	55 days
Days to maturity	180 days
Harvest window	21 days
Harvest unit	Leek
Yield per 100′ bed	380 leeks

Bed figures are for a 100′ x 30″ bed. From the Paperpot Co. Growers Notes, developed with farmers Erich Schultz (Steadfast Farm) and Seth Davis. Adjust for your climate and conditions.

Bed preparation

• Broadfork the bed to aerate and loosen the soil.
• Smooth and shape the bed with a bed prep rake, removing any debris.
• If the previous crop was fertilized, leeks will do fine without reapplying. If not, either layer on 1″ of compost (enough to mostly cover the native soil) or sprinkle on alfalfa meal and pelleted chicken manure.
• If you layer compost, don’t tilth it in, so surface weed seed stays smothered. If you add amendments, tilth the top 1-2″ to mix them in.
• Irrigate for 10 to 14 days* to germinate weed seed in the top layer of soil, then flame weed once the weed cotyledons are up.

Seeding

• Set a germination tray with 6″ paper chain pots and fill with potting mix.
• Set up the Kwik Klik Slide with the Paperpot bottom plate and the Paperpot 264, 1.5 mm thick, 2.5 mm holes top plate.
• Pour seed on the top plate and work it until one seed sits in each hole. Line the seeder up over the tray and slide the plate to drop seed into every cell at once.
• Water the tray, then germinate for 72 hours at 80°F.
• Move trays to greenhouse benches as soon as you see germination.
• Feed with an organic liquid fertilizer and trim the tops twice while the leeks are in the nursery, for stronger roots.
• Leeks are ready to transplant at about 8 weeks and 10″ tall.

Transplanting

• Water the trays thoroughly before heading to the field.
• Open two 4″ deep furrows with a wheel hoe and furrower: 15″ apart, 7.5″ from each bed edge.
• Plant a row of leeks into each furrow with the Paperpot Transplanter, then backfill to ground level.
• New to the transplanter? See the how-to guide and videos.

Bed layout

Irrigation

• Water the bed in thoroughly with overhead irrigation.
• Frequent, shallow waterings support growth and root development.

Cultivation

• 10-14 days after transplanting, start hilling the rows. Burying more stem blanches it and adds market value, and hilling disrupts weeds.
• Once about 4″ is hilled above ground level, cultivate weekly with a collinear hoe. Leeks never close a canopy, so keep weeding.

Harvest

• Loosen the soil with a broadfork or digging fork before pulling.
• Peel one thin outer layer and remove damaged leaves. Trim the tops so the leeks are uniform and fit in a tote.

Washing and packing

• Spray clean with a washdown gun over a root wash table.
• Pack in totes and store at 35°F until market.

Leeks in paper chain pots: FAQ

Other crops

basil · beets · bunching onions · cabbage · cilantro · dill · fennel · garlic · head lettuce · kohlrabi · Little Gem lettuce · mesclun mix lettuce · onions · snap peas · salad turnips · spinach · storage radishes · summer crisp lettuce. All crops in one table: the Paperpot growers notes.