Allium porrum 'Porbella'
leek 'Porbella'
A perennial usually grown as an annual, with long, lance-shaped, dark green leaves arching over as they grow. The leaf-bases are wrapped around each other to form the edible 'stem', usually blanched white. If not harvested, plants will go on to flower in summer, producing strong, upright stems to 1.5m topped with a rounded flowerhead of small, star-shaped, white flowers. This is a well-flavoured leek cultivar, with thick stems, standing well for several months, to allow cropping from mid-autumn to late winter
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green White | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green White | ||
| Autumn | Green White | |||
| Winter | Green White |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Allium are bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent, linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, ideally in sun though will tolerate shade. Start seed in containers or a seed bed in spring, then transplant seedlings when pencil thickness into holes 15cm deep, so the lower part of the stem will be blanched. Earthing-up the stems as they grow will increase the length of white stem. See leek cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
Suggested planting locations and garden types
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs and snails, leek moth, onion fly and onion thrips
Diseases
May be susceptible to leek rust, onion white rot, downy mildews, foot and root rots, fungal leaf spots and smuts
Get involved
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