How to Grow Leeks in Illinois

Select a plot of land that receives direct sunlight during half of the day. Do this during the first week of spring. Select a leek seed variety that corresponds with the growing zone in which you live. In the state of Illinois, growing zones vary from 4 to 5b.

Dig down about 2 inches to break apart the topsoil in the area you have chosen. Layer about an inch of garden soil over the broken-up topsoil. Commercial blends of soil exist that are formulated specifically for growing edibles, or you can rely on an organic soil.

Layer an inch of peat moss over the garden soil. Peat moss is natural and serves as a mulch and nutrient sponge for growing and thriving plants. It is light and fluffy and provides aeration to soils. Use a hand trowel or hoe to stir the ground, mixing the topsoil, garden soil and peat moss together.

Sow each small leek seed approximately 1/4 of an inch beneath the surface of the soil. Cover the seeds with the soil lightly.

Administer enough water to slightly flood the surface of the prepared and sowed ground. If you see the seeds float to the surface, you have watered too much. The seeds should stay where they have been sown after you water the area.

Observe the seeded area as the leek seeds germinate. In Illinois, leek and other allium seeds take roughly seven days to germinate. Give the area waterings as you did in step 5 once a week. When the sprouts reach 2 inches tall, increase the frequency of waterings to once every four days. The plants should reach around 4 feet tall by the end of summer and will produce flowering heads before then.