Leeks earn their place in a Scottish garden by standing in the ground through autumn and winter, ready to lift a few at a time. So two things decide the variety: how much cold it can take, and when in the winter it's ready.
Quick answer
Oarsman: hardy to H5The RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition → and resistant to rust. Bandit to crop latest, Porbella to stand longest, Stamford to start early, and Musselburgh for a Scottish heritage leek.
What Scotland means for the choice
Hardiness ratings split these leeks into two groups. H4 covers -10°C to -5°C and is hardy through most of the UK "apart from inland valleys, at altitude and central / northerly locations". H5 covers -15°C to -10°C and is hardy "even in severe winters", though it may still struggle on "open or exposed sites or central / northerly locations". Inland, high and northerly gardens are common in Scotland, so on a cold or exposed plot the two H5 varieties, Oarsman and Bandit, give the widest margin. On a sheltered plot, the H4 varieties do well too. The leek growing guide covers sowing, planting, earthing upDrawing soil up around a plant's base as it grows, most often potatoes, to keep light off developing tubers and support tall stems. Full definition → and soil pH.
| Variety | Hardiness | Ready | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oarsman | H5 | From October; keeps well in the ground | Resistant to rust |
| Bandit | H5 | From January | Latest to mature; thick, pure-white stems |
| Stamford | H4 | From October | Early; high-yielding, bulks up quickly and evenly |
| Porvite | H4 | Autumn to early winter | Resistant to boltingA plant switching early into flowering and seed production, usually triggered by stress, after which leaves, roots or bulbs turn bitter or unusable. Full page → |
| Porbella | H4 | Mid-autumn to late winter | Stands well for several months |
| Krypton | H4 | From December | Good general disease resistance; compact, upright |
| Musselburgh | H4 | No date given | Scottish heritage; rust resistance |
All of these except Porvite and Musselburgh hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition →), a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one.
Oarsman
Oarsman is the one to grow if you grow only one. It's a British-bred F1The first-generation offspring of two specific, deliberately chosen parent plants, bred for a predictable, uniform result but not worth saving seed from. Full definition → for winter harvests, rated H5, and resistant to leek rust. It's ready from October and keeps well in the ground after that.
Bandit and Porbella
Bandit matches Oarsman's H5 rating but is the latest to mature, from January, cropping from winter through to spring. It suits a cold plot where you want leeks late in the season.
Porbella has a long cropping season, from mid-autumn to late winter, and its thick white stems stand well for several months. At H4, it's the better choice for a sheltered plot.
Stamford, Porvite and Krypton
Stamford is an early, high-yielding F1 that bulks up quickly and evenly, ready from October. Porvite crops in autumn and early winter with large, uniform stems, and it's the only one here resistant to bolting. Krypton matures from December on compact, upright plants with good general disease resistance.
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is a heritage leek associated with the East Lothian town of the same name, just outside Edinburgh. It's described as very hardy, with rust resistance, but it's rated H4, the same as Stamford, Porvite, Krypton and Porbella, and it doesn't hold the AGM. Grow it on a sheltered plot for the local history as much as for the crop.
Which one for your situation
- One variety for any Scottish plot: Oarsman.
- A cold, exposed or northerly plot, with leeks into spring: Bandit.
- A sheltered plot, leeks from autumn to late winter: Porbella.
- Early leeks: Stamford, or Oarsman, both ready from October.
- Bolting has been a problem: Porvite.
- A Scottish heritage leek: Musselburgh.
Whatever the variety, watch for leek moth, allium leaf miner and onion fly, and keep leeks off ground that has had onion white rot.
Common questions
Does a hardier leek mature later?
No. Hardiness and harvest time are separate. Oarsman is H5 and ready from October, the same month as the H4 Stamford, while the H4 Krypton isn't ready until December.
Can H4 leeks be grown in Scotland?
Yes, on sheltered sites. H4 is hardy through most of the UK except inland valleys, high ground and central or northerly locations, which covers much of Scotland. On those sites, choose an H5 variety such as Oarsman or Bandit.
Which leek copes best with leek rust?
Oarsman, which is resistant to rust and also the hardiest. Musselburgh is described as rust-resistant too, and Krypton has good general disease resistance.
Sources
Show the 10 sources
- Leeks: grow your own: The six recommended varieties and their descriptions, including Oarsman's rust resistance and Porvite's bolting resistance
- Allium porrum 'Oarsman': H5 hardiness, AGM, harvest from October, keeps well in the ground, pests
- Allium porrum 'Bandit': H5 hardiness, AGM, harvest from January, stems
- Allium porrum 'Stamford': H4 hardiness, AGM, harvest from October
- Allium porrum (Autumn Giant 2 Group) 'Porvite': H4 hardiness, harvest window, bolting resistance
- Allium porrum 'Porbella': H4 hardiness, AGM, harvest window, standing ability
- Allium porrum 'Krypton': H4 hardiness, AGM, harvest from December, disease resistance, habit
- Allium porrum 'Musselburgh': H4 hardiness, no AGM
- Hardiness rating definitions: H4 and H5 definitions
- How to grow leeks: Musselburgh described as very hardy with rust resistance