- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Leeks were grown on 589 acres in Monterey County in 2018 and were worth $10.8 million. Depending on the planting date, they can be in the field for 120 or more days, particularly if they are over wintered. They can be grown from seed, but are commonly transplanted to overcome slow initial plant growth. Weed control in leeks is quite challenging because, like onions, they never form a dense crop canopy that can effectively compete with weeds. In addition, given the long crop cycle, a leek planting may experience flushes of both cool and warm season weeds.
Weed control options in organic leeks consist of 1) locating leek planting on blocks with low weed pressure (e.g. blocks with careful weed control in prior crop rotations), 2)...
- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Richard Smith is a University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor in Monterey County.
Leeks are in the onion family and are increasingly important crop in Monterey County. In 2017, there were 475 acres produced worth $8.6 million. They are mostly established by transplanting and days to maturity is generally 120+ days, but varies widely depending on the time of year and market demand. Given the long crop cycle and the lack of a dense crop canopy, leeks are susceptible to successive waves of weed emergence. Growers complain that leeks “blow up” weed populations by allowing a significant number of weeds to mature and set seeds.
The preemergent herbicides DCPA and...
