How to Grow Ramps Seeds

Ramps resemble green, blade onions and have a soft, garlic taste.

Ramps are wild leeks that grow mainly in the eastern regions of Canada and the United States, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. While ramps typically grow in the wild, many ramp-lovers have started successfully growing these delicacies in their lawns and gardens. Grow ramps for personal use or sell them to local restaurants looking to expand their menu or add a special ingredient to their dishes.

Things You'll Need

• Soil amendment
• Dried leaves

Instructions

1. Choose a shady location for your ramp patch, as ramps naturally grow in forested areas. Choose a site with moist, well-draining soil. Add organic matter such as wood chips, compost or composted manure to the site as a soil amendment to add nutrients to the site.

2. Sow ramp seeds in late summer through early fall to have an abundant crop the following spring. Ramp seeds require a warm period followed by a cold period to produce the best growth. Ramp seeds require these vast temperatures to germinate, typically taking between six and 18 months to emerge, depending on the length of the warm period.

3. Till the soil in the ramp bed to prepare for direct seeding. Rake leaves off the bed, if you plan to plant the ramps in a forested area. Till the soil with a motorized tiller or use a pitchfork to loosen the soil 2 to 3 inches deep.

4. Distribute seeds over the bed in a thin layer. Pat the seeds into the soil with the palm of your hand. You may cover some of the seeds with a thin layer of soil as you do this, and that is fine.

5. Cover the seeds with approximately 2 inches of dried, decaying leaves to retain soil moisture and protect the seeds. Replace the leaves you removed in the third step, or collect some from a forested area on your property.

6. Water the ramp bed as necessary to keep the top inch of soil moist. Ramps have very shallow root systems and may need extra water during dry seasons.

Tips & Warnings

• Ramps may not emerge the first spring after planting, so do not be discouraged if you do not have ramps until the second spring.

• In late spring, allow a few ramps to flower and produce seeds to replant in fall.

References

• North Carolina State University; Cultivation of Ramps; Jackie Greenfield, et al.
• Purdue University; Cultivating Ramps: Wild Leeks of Appalachia; Jeanine M. Davis, et al.; 2002
• University of Wisconsin Extension; Growing Onions, Garlic, Leeks and Other Alliums in Wisconsin; K.A. Delahaut, et al.

Resources

• USDA: Allium tricoccum Aiton ramp