What month is generally suitable for transplanting old leeks?
AbstractOld leeks are generally transplanted from late July to mid-August. Transplanting should be done earlier rather than later, and should be completed before the Mid-Autumn Festival. If the leeks are very thin and short, they can be transplanted in early spring of the following year. Old leeks are generally transplanted using the deep-furrow method, paying attention to lifting the seedlings and planting density, and the beds should also be repaired for drainage and irrigation to ensure good field management.
I. Which month to transplant old leeks
Old leeks are generally best transplanted from July 20 to August 15, before the Mid-Autumn Festival. If the leeks are relatively thin and short, they can be transplanted in early spring of the following year; transplanting should avoid winter. If the leeks were not planted in summer, they can be transplanted when they grow to 18-20 cm.
II. Transplanting methods for old leeks
1. Deep-furrow transplanting
When transplanting old leeks, single-row deep-furrow transplanting is generally used. With furrow planting, soil can be continuously banked up as the plants grow, turning the space between rows into a deep furrow. Before planting, water the soil thoroughly, adding as much water as possible, then dig out the leeks, remove the front root tips, leaving 2-3 cm of roots, and two-thirds of the leaves should be cut off. Dig a deep furrow with a row spacing of 40 cm and a depth of 15 cm, then plant the seedlings at a spacing of 1-1.5 cm per plant.
2. Lifting seedlings and planting
Lift the seedlings 3 days before planting. A small amount of water should be applied before lifting the seedlings to prevent root damage, and the weak seedlings should be removed from the leek seedlings. The number of seedlings lifted should be completely planted the same day. If they cannot all be planted properly that day, planting must be completed within the next day.
The planting density of leeks should be reasonable. If the density is too low, it will affect the yield; if the density is too high, it will affect the quality. Generally, leek varieties with strong tillering ability and loose plant form should not be planted too densely. If the tillering ability is weak and the plant type is upright, they can be planted appropriately more densely.
3. Repairing beds for drainage and irrigation
When transplanting leeks, care should be taken to choose soil that drains and irrigates easily, because leeks are afraid of flooding. Before planting, deep plowing should be carried out to make the soil soft, then the ground should be raked level, and the bed surface and bed ridges should be built. If the cultivation site is in the south, due to too much rain, raised-bed cultivation is needed. If it is in the north where there is less rain, flat-bed cultivation is suitable. The method of flat-bed cultivation is 2-3 plants per clump, generally with a row spacing of 25-30 cm and a clump spacing of 7-10 cm.
4. Field management
When covering with soil, the soil depth must not bury the leaf-splitting node. After planting, water should be applied 2 times consecutively, and the soil should be loosened in time. When the leeks grow to 15 cm, they should be topdressed once, and topdressed again after 20 days. After the Beginning of Autumn, irrigation should be controlled, and in winter, attention should be paid to watering before freezing.
Leeks have high fertilizer requirements, so sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer should be used. Enough organic base fertilizer should also be used before planting. After applying organic fertilizer, remember to turn the soil to mix the fertilizer and soil evenly. If straw compost is used instead of manure, diammonium phosphate can be supplementarily applied.