By mid-February, spring feels within reach. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training. And gardeners begin to plant their first seeds indoors, destined to become seedlings planted in summer gardens.

Leeks, as well as bulb onions, take a long time to develop, so they need to be planted early.

Starting leeks from seed will give you a wider variety to choose from. I have found Lancelot and King Richard leek seedlings, but as seed you can find many more varieties. Megaton offers a higher yield; Lexton has Megaton’s long, thick shanks but is slower growing and more winter-hardy; Bandit is the most winter hardy; Gevaria can be harvested earlier in the season; and Takrima is supposed to be easier to grow. I haven’t tried all of these, but it is nice to have options.

Using a 2-inch-deep flat of potting mix, plant the seeds about a half an inch deep and about a half an inch apart. Keep moist but not soggy, watering about once a week with a half-strength solution of liquid fertilizer. Keep the plants between 60 and 80 degrees and in bright light, in either a south-facing window with unobstructed sun, or artificial light. The seed should sprout in about seven days.

In late April or early May, plant the seedlings outdoors. Catalogs sell something called a dibble – though I use a broken broom handle about an inch in diameter – to make a hole, then drop the seedlings into it. I’ve had good luck using black landscape fabric with holes in it to keep the weeds down and retain moisture, since all onion plants hate weeds and need a lot of water. I think the black color helps heat the soil under the fabric, too.

Leave only an inch of seedling showing above the soil. The deeper the hole is, the better, because you won’t have to mound soil around the leeks to get the white section that is the best eating.

Harvest in the fall after the leeks have been hit by several hard freezes.