Heirloom

King Richard

Allium porrum

Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful full-sized leeks. In favorable soil and culture, the white shanks are over a foot long to the first leaf. Medium-green leaves with full habit. For baby leeks, plant closely (40 seeds/ft.) and harvest at finger size. While not hardy enough for overwintering, they will withstand medium-heavy frost (32° to 20°F/0° to -7°C) without losing their healthy appearance.

Harvest

75d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

4–9

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

1-3 feet

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct Sow

Harvest

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for King Richard in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 allium →

Zone Map

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King Richard · Zones 4–9

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing4-6 inches (standard), or 2-3 inches for baby leeks

SoilWell-drained loam with rich organic matter, slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0)

WaterRegular, consistent moisture; keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged

FlavorMild, slightly sweet onion-like flavor with tender, delicate white shanks

ColorWhite shanks with medium-green leaves

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 3	—	—	May – June	July – October
Zone 4	—	—	April – June	July – October
Zone 5	—	—	April – May	June – November
Zone 6	—	—	April – May	June – November
Zone 7	—	—	March – May	June – November
Zone 8	—	—	March – April	May – December
Zone 9	—	—	February – March	April – December
Zone 10	—	—	January – March	April – December
Zone 1	—	—	June – July	August – September
Zone 2	—	—	May – July	August – September
Zone 11	—	—	January – February	March – December
Zone 12	—	—	January – February	March – December
Zone 13	—	—	January – February	March – December

Succession Planting

King Richard runs 75 days from transplant, so stagger your sowings if you want leeks on the table from midsummer through fall rather than all at once. In zone 7, direct sow outdoors starting March 1, make a second sowing around April 1, and a third in early May if you want harvest pushing into late November. Three to four weeks between sowings is plenty — leeks hold in the ground well once they size up, so the harvest window is naturally more forgiving than with lettuce or radishes.

Cut yourself off by early May in most zones. Leeks started after that don't have enough season left to reach full size before hard frost. If you want baby leeks — pulled at pencil thickness, around 2-3 inches spacing — earlier sowings can do double duty: thin some at the baby stage and let the rest run to full size, which stretches your harvest without adding another sowing date.

Complete Growing Guide

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Drainage: Good Drainage. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. Spread: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. Spacing: Less than 12 inches. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Low. Propagation: Division. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

King Richard reaches harvest at 75 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds.

The capsule splits longitudinally and contains small round black seeds.

Type: Capsule.

Storage & Preservation

King Richard leeks store best in a refrigerator at 32–40°F with high humidity, ideally in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they'll keep for 2–3 weeks. For longer storage, trim the roots and tops, wrap individually in damp paper towels, and place in sealed containers to extend shelf life to a month.

Freezing works well for cooked applications: blanch sliced leeks for 3–4 minutes, cool immediately, and freeze in airtight bags for up to eight months. Dehydration is another option—slice thin, dry at 140°F until brittle, and store in airtight jars for soups and seasonings. Pickling also suits leeks effectively; use a vinegar brine and process according to tested canning guidelines.

King Richard's relatively thin white section makes it particularly suited to quick-cooking methods post-freezing, so consider blanching and freezing in meal-sized portions rather than whole leeks.

History & Origin

King Richard is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: Northern Hemisphere, North America and Eurasia

Advantages

+Exceptional white shank length exceeds one foot in good conditions
+Versatile for both full-size and baby leek production methods
+Tolerates medium-heavy frost down to 20°F without quality loss
+Quick maturity at 75 days reduces overall growing season

Considerations

-Not cold-hardy enough for winter overwintering in most regions
-Requires favorable soil conditions to achieve advertised shank length
-Demands consistent moisture and nutrients for optimal performance

Companion Plants

Carrots and leeks are one of the more dependable pairings you'll find in the allium family. Leek's sulfur-heavy scent reportedly disrupts carrot fly (Psila rosae) while carrots return the favor by confusing leek moth (Acrolepiopsis assectella). Whether that mutual pest interference holds up perfectly in practice is debatable, but the two crops share similar water needs and root at different depths, so at minimum they don't get in each other's way. Brassicas make good neighbors for similar reasons — allium scent may deter aphid colonization — and they don't pull the same nutrients hard enough to cause obvious competition.

Beans and peas are the ones to relocate. Leeks produce sulfur compounds that suppress the Rhizobium bacteria living on legume roots, and those bacteria are how beans and peas fix nitrogen. Plant them too close and your legumes underperform quietly all season — no dramatic collapse, just noticeably smaller yields. Asparagus is a different problem: it's a perennial that needs permanent real estate, and leeks planted nearby compete directly for moisture and root space across multiple years, slowly grinding down the asparagus crown's productivity.

Plant Together

Tomatoes

Leeks repel aphids and improve tomato flavor while tomatoes don't compete for nutrients

Carrots

Leeks deter carrot fly while carrots help break up soil for leek roots

Brassicas

Leeks repel cabbage worms and flea beetles that commonly attack brassicas

Lettuce

Shallow-rooted lettuce doesn't compete with leeks and benefits from their pest-repelling properties

Strawberries

Leeks deter slugs and aphids that damage strawberry plants

Roses

Leeks repel aphids and may reduce black spot disease in roses

Celery

Both have similar water needs and leeks help repel celery leaf miner

Marigolds

Both plants repel nematodes and work together to deter various garden pests

Keep Apart

Beans

Legumes can inhibit allium growth and development through root competition

Peas

Peas and other legumes may stunt leek growth through allelopathic effects

Asparagus

Both are heavy feeders that compete for similar nutrients, reducing yields for both

Nutrition Facts

Calories

40kcal(2%)

Protein

1.1g(2%)

Fiber

1.7g(6%)

Carbs

9.34g(3%)

Fat

0.1g(0%)

Vitamin C

7.4mg(8%)

Vitamin A

0mcg(0%)

Vitamin K

0.4mcg(0%)

Iron

0.21mg(1%)

Calcium

23mg(2%)

Potassium

146mg(3%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #170000)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Leek moth, onion thrips, leek rust mite

Diseases

Leek rust, fusarium wilt, pink root

Troubleshooting King Richard

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Orange powdery pustules on leaf surfaces, usually appearing mid-summer

Likely Causes

Leek rust (Puccinia allii) — a fungal disease that spreads by airspores, worse in humid conditions with poor airflow
Overcrowded planting at less than 4-inch spacing

What to Do

1.Remove and bin (don't compost) heavily infected leaves immediately
2.Thin plants to at least 4 inches apart to open up airflow
3.Avoid overhead watering in the evening — water at the base in the morning instead

Leaves showing silver streaking or flecking, tips browning, plants look dull and bleached

Likely Causes

Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) — tiny insects feeding between leaf layers, especially bad during hot dry stretches
Leek rust mite (Aceria tulipae) — too small to see without magnification, causes similar silvering

What to Do

1.Blast plants with a firm stream of water to knock thrips off; repeat every 3-4 days for two weeks
2.Apply insecticidal soap or spinosad if populations are heavy — coat both leaf surfaces
3.Keep soil consistently moist; water-stressed leeks attract significantly more thrips than well-watered ones

Plants wilting and yellowing from the base up, roots turning pink or red when pulled

Likely Causes

Pink root (Phoma terrestris) — a soil-borne fungal pathogen that persists in the soil for years
Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) — also soil-borne, symptoms overlap closely with pink root

What to Do

1.Pull and discard affected plants; don't replant alliums in that bed for at least 3 seasons
2.Improve drainage — both pathogens thrive in waterlogged, compacted soil
3.Start fresh transplants in a different bed with clean compost worked in to a depth of 8-10 inches

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow King Richard leeks from seed?▼

King Richard leeks typically take 75 days from transplanting to reach full size. From seed, add 6-8 weeks for seedling development indoors before transplanting, bringing total time to about 4-5 months. For baby leeks, you can harvest at finger size much sooner, around 60 days after sowing.

Can you grow King Richard leeks in containers?▼

King Richard can be grown in containers, though deep pots (12+ inches) are recommended for full-sized shanks. For baby leeks, closer planting at 40 seeds per foot works well in containers. Ensure containers have good drainage and fertile, well-drained soil for best results.

What does King Richard leek taste like?▼

King Richard leeks have a mild, slightly sweet onion-like flavor with tender, delicate white shanks. The white parts are the most prized culinary section, offering a subtle, refined taste compared to harsher alliums. They're excellent for soups, braising, and sautéing.

When should I plant King Richard leeks?▼

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date for summer transplanting. For fall/winter harvest in milder climates, sow outdoors in mid to late summer. While not cold-hardy enough to overwinter in most zones, they tolerate frost down to 20°F without losing quality.

What are common culinary uses for King Richard leeks?▼

King Richard leeks are versatile in the kitchen—use the tender white shanks in soups like potato leek or French leek soup, braise them as a side dish, sauté with butter, or add to stir-fries and gratins. Their mild flavor makes them suitable for delicate preparations that showcase their sweetness.