There are several similar varieties of leeks. To tell them apart, the summer species have a clearer color and don’t withstand the cold well while the autumn and winter species leaves have a noticeable bluish green color. The latter species are stored in cold chambers well into the winter.
Leeks are grown in light well aerated soil. The leek seeds are sown in preformed trays during the winter and develop in greenhouses until they become young sprouts which are then planted, one by one, once the soil thaws in the springtime.
During the summer, the development of the plants is strictly controlled so that they benefit from all of the necessary elements for proper growth: manual and mechanical weeding, water supply etc. Mounding is also of great importance. Mounding the earth around the leek protects the white part of the pseudostem from the light, making it longer.
The different varieties of leeks are harvested from the end of July until mid-November. The summer leek is characterized by the green color of its leaves. The leaves of the fall variety are darker in color and the winter variety by a bluish green tint.
A part of the harvest is stored in temperature and humidity controlled refrigerators, prior to marketing, up to the month of February. To ensure a year round supply, Les Cultures de Chez Nous imports leeks from Europe once its locally grown reserves are depleted.