Rainline Garden
When to plant leeks in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Start leeks from seed indoors Jan 4–18, then plant the young plants in the garden Mar 15 – Apr 26. In Bend: May 12 – Jun 23. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 6 inches apart
- Planting depth
- Set seedlings in a hole about 6 inches deep so the stems grow long and white
- Frost
- Handles light frost
- First harvest
- About 120 days after planting
Slow but nearly foolproof. West of the Cascades they stand in the garden all winter, ready to dig as you need them.
Leeks planting dates by city
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Baker City, OR | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Apr 27 – Jun 8 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Mar 3–17 | May 12 – Jun 23 |
| Burns, OR | Mar 5–19 | May 14 – Jun 25 |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Eugene, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Gresham, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | Mar 3–17 | May 12 – Jun 23 |
| Medford, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Pendleton, OR | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Portland, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Roseburg, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Salem, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| The Dalles, OR | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Bellingham, WA | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Feb 4–18 | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Everett, WA | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Forks, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Olympia, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Feb 4–18 | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Feb 4–18 | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Vancouver, WA | Jan 4–18 | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Yakima, WA | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 10 – May 22 |
How to grow leeks
- Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
- Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
- Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 6 inches apart. Set seedlings in a hole about 6 inches deep so the stems grow long and white.
- Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
- Harvest: Dig whenever stems are an inch or more across. West of the Cascades you can leave them in the ground and harvest all winter.
Varieties that do well in the Northwest
- King Richard (early)
- Bandit (winter-hardy)
- American Flag
Watch out for
Weeds crowd young leeks. Mulch and weed regularly while the plants are small.
Onions
Garlic
Shallots