High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Chinese Chives: How to Plant and Grow Chinese Chives

AbstractVarieties: choose varieties with good quality, high yield, tolerance to low temperatures, a short dormant period and strong resistance. Sowing: the emergence temperature is 15-18°C, and seedlings generally sprout and emerge in 10-15 days. Seedling stage: apply sufficient base fertilizer, plough and harrow finely, and remove the plastic film after about 5 days. Land preparation and transplanting: the land should be deep-ploughed and re-tilled 2-3 times, with 10,000 kg of base fertilizer applied per mu, beds made in north-south rows, and about 300,000 plants planted per mu. Management after planting: water at the right time, fertilize reasonably, weed promptly, and actively prevent and control pests and diseases.

Chinese chives are rich in nutrients and contain large amounts of vitamin A and cellulose, which have a certain effect on regulating the body's nutrient concentration, stimulating the stomach and intestines, and helping food digestion. In order to obtain relatively high returns from Chinese chives, a few cultivation measures are shared here for the reference of vegetable growers:

I. Characteristics and Traits

1. Roots Chinese chive roots are string-like fibrous roots, borne at the base of the stem and all around it. The fibrous roots are 20-30cm long and 0.15-0.25cm thick, with about 10-20 roots per plant. From the middle of the thicker fibrous roots downward, 3-5 slender lateral roots may develop. Most of the root system is distributed in the 3-20cm soil layer. Besides absorbing water, oxygen and inorganic salts, it also stores nutrients. After 3 years, root death and root replacement occur.

2. Stems are divided into bulbs and false stems. With production, the bulb gradually becomes lignified and forms thick rhizome-like branches, densely covered with fibrous roots on the outside, hence called a “rhizome”, which can live for 2-3 years. Above the “chive bulb” there are multiple layers of leaf sheaths clasping one another to form what is called a false stem. Through the developmental stage it grows leaves, bolts, flowers and fruits.

3. Leaves Chinese chive leaves are composed of leaf sheaths and leaf blades. A mature plant has 5-11 leaves. The leaves grow on the stem disc, and they have a great deal to do with how many stored nutrients are in the chive bulb. Chinese chives require relatively high soil moisture (relative water content 85-95%) and relatively low air humidity (relative humidity 70-80%). Under high temperature, weak light, drought and oxygen deficiency, the chive leaf tissue becomes coarse and the fiber hardens, and quality declines.

4. Seeds The 1000-seed weight of Chinese chive seeds is 4-5g. The seed coat is hard and the lifespan is relatively short. Under ordinary conditions, storage lasts only about one year, so fresh seeds should be used in production. They can germinate at 2-3℃. When the air temperature is 3-5℃, the nutrients stored in the rhizome can also make the stems and leaves grow slowly. They can be produced in areas at about 45° north latitude with temperatures of -36.5℃. Seeds sown in April can produce tillers when they grow 5-6 leaves.

II. Environmental Requirements

1. Temperature The leaves can withstand low temperatures of -4-5℃, and the leaves only wither at -6-10℃. The optimum temperature for growth is 13-20℃. Above 24℃ growth is slow. Seeds can germinate at 2-3℃, and germinate and emerge fastest at 20℃.

2. The temperature required during the seedling growth period is above 12℃, about 23℃ for the first cutting, and after that the requirement gradually increases with each cutting, with a maximum not exceeding 30℃.

3. Light In production, during the product formation period it prefers weak light. When the light is too weak, plant growth is inhibited, the leaf mesophyll tissue becomes coarse and hard, cellulose increases, and quality deteriorates.

4. Water Chinese chives are a semi-moisture-loving vegetable. They should not lack water during the seedling stage. During the tillering and growth stage, the soil should alternate between dry and wet. The relative water content is between 70-90%. During the vigorous growth stage, the relative soil moisture is 80-95%, and at this time root rot from waterlogging must be strictly prevented.

5. Soil Chinese chives have wide adaptability to soil, but require high organic matter content. Because Chinese chives are mostly sown, grown and harvested in the same year, the root-nourishing period is short, and the soil fertility must be high so that the yield reaches a high level, but attention should be paid to continuous cropping and crop rotation.

III. Variety Selection

1. Requirements: good quality, high yield, tolerance to low temperatures, a short dormant period, strong resistance and other advantages.

2. Common varieties for cultivation in large and small greenhouses include Saisong, 001 Xuan No. 1, 001-1, etc.;

3. Varieties for plastic tunnel cultivation include 791, Hanzhong chive, Malan chive, Dugenhong, etc.; open-field cultivation varieties include Jiaxing Baigen, Pingjiu No. 4, etc.

IV. Sowing at the Right Time

1. The optimum temperature for Chinese chive germination and emergence is 15-18℃, and seedlings generally sprout and emerge in 10-15 days. In the “Golden Triangle” area, sowing should be set to begin at Qingming Festival (April 5). Land preparation must be started early; creating soil moisture is one of the key sowing measures in our area.

2. First, apply sufficient base fertilizer, plough and harrow finely, mark lines for positioning, sow evenly, and press the soil firm after sowing (tread with flat-soled shoes). If soil moisture is insufficient after 3-4 days, water again. After the soil surface dries, spray 25% chloronitrofen at 180 times dilution or prometryn at 150 times dilution (strictly follow the operating procedures), and finally cover with plastic film.

V. Seedling Stage Management

1. After 5 days, remove the plastic film and check soil moisture and germination;

2. If the soil moisture is poor, add water to a watering can and sprinkle it on;

3. Loosen the soil, hoe shallowly, and weed (pull weeds when they are small);

4. Fry bran, mix with pesticide, and sprinkle it around the seedling beds to kill mole crickets, white grubs and other pests;

5. After the seedlings are 40 days old, spray thiophanate, chlorothalonil, triadimefon and other solutions;

6. One week before transplanting, water once with 1 kg of sugar solution added; when lifting seedlings, spray mancozeb or carbendazim once.

VI. Land Preparation and Transplanting

1. The land should be deep-ploughed and re-tilled 2-3 times, with ploughing, harrowing and raking depth above 20cm;

2. Apply 10,000 kg of base fertilizer per mu, 100 kg of enzyme bacterial fertilizer, 100 kg of superphosphate, 50 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, and 100 kg of cake fertilizer;

3. Make beds in north-south rows and plant about 300,000 plants per mu;

4. After transplanting, water to settle the seedlings, then water thoroughly;

5. Never use a previous crop of scallions, garlic or Chinese chives.

VII. Management After Planting

1. Watering: generally follow the principle of wet in the early stage and dry in the later stage. Water once every 10-15 days in the early stage and once every 15-20 days in the later stage. After transplanting, control water for 20 days to encourage the seedling roots to grow downward; watering can be combined with fertilization;

2. Fertilization: during the seedling stage, it is best to spray Shifeiwang produced in Beijing or enzyme bacterial fertilizer 3-4 times (apply according to the required amount).

3. Pull weeds, eliminate weed overgrowth, cultivate between rows, loosen soil and preserve moisture;

4. For pest and disease control, spray a fungicide about every 10 days (chlorothalonil, carbendazim, triadimefon, procymidone, metalaxyl mancozeb, mancozeb, Sandofan, etc.).

VIII. Cultivation Under Plastic Cover

1. Temperature management and ventilation after covering with film

Chinese chives are a vegetable that prefers cool conditions. In greenhouses and arched sheds, because humidity is high and light is weak, although high temperatures will not cause the quality of Chinese chives to deteriorate, high temperatures will make Chinese chives grow too fast, with tender leaves and reduced disease resistance. This is an important cause of rotten Chinese chives brought about by improper temperature management.

At the same time, excessively high temperatures, if combined with insufficient water, can also cause dry leaf tips in Chinese chives. Therefore, strictly controlling the temperature during the growth period of Chinese chives is of decisive significance for ensuring healthy growth of Chinese chives and preventing the occurrence of rotten Chinese chives.

Temperature management in Chinese chive greenhouses should be handled according to needs and possibilities. After clearing the stubble and harvesting, before the Chinese chives have sprouted, the air temperature can be kept as high as possible, using air temperature to promote soil temperature and strongly encourage Chinese chives to sprout as soon as possible.

After the Chinese chives emerge from the ground, the temperature must be strictly controlled. During the growth period of the first cutting of Chinese chives, the daytime temperature should preferably be kept at 17-23℃, and as much as possible should not exceed 24℃. A stricter requirement is that it must not be allowed to exceed 25℃ for 2-3 hours, and must not exceed 27℃ for 1-2 hours. During the growth period of each subsequent cutting, the upper temperature limit can be 2-3℃ higher than the previous cutting, but it should also as much as possible not exceed 30℃.

For Chinese chives produced in autumn, in the initial period after the shed is covered, the outside temperature is high, and the indoor temperature very easily exceeds the upper limit, so even more attention must be paid to controlling the temperature and not letting it get too high. If the temperature is high, not only do Chinese chives grow too fast and rot severely, but the growth period of the first cutting of Chinese chives is also shortened, reducing the opportunity to compensate nutrients back into the roots, and it also affects the market price.

If the temperature is too high, ventilation should be used to solve it. In the initial period after covering the shed for autumn Chinese chives, when the outside temperature is high, bottom ventilation can be used, but after the weather turns cold, especially after the “regreening” Chinese chives have sprouted after the shed is covered, bottom ventilation is generally not allowed, because when bottom ventilation is used, cold air blows directly on the chive leaves and causes cold damage, and alternating cold and heat can also cause rotten Chinese chives. In the severe winter season, ventilation only emphasizes opening the upper row of vents. If humidity is high and temperature is high, those with lower-row vents can also open the upper and lower vents at the same time. This not only lowers humidity and discharges ammonia gas, but can also effectively control the temperature so it does not get too high, and has a relatively good effect on preventing rotten Chinese chives.

Temperature management also includes the issue of controlling night temperature. If the night temperature is low, especially if the day-night temperature difference is large, it is very easy to cause dew condensation on the leaf surface or the formation of a water film, which creates conditions for pathogen germination and invasion and can cause sudden outbreaks of disease. Therefore, the night temperature in Chinese chive greenhouses should not be too low either. During the growth period of the first cutting of Chinese chives, it is suitable to maintain 10-12℃, but sometimes the outside temperature is too low, and the night temperature is also hard to guarantee. Therefore, to maintain a relatively high night temperature, nighttime insulation must be strengthened. Some farmers believe that Chinese chives are not afraid of freezing and can even endure low temperatures around 0℃, and often neglect insulation in Chinese chive greenhouses (sheds). This is wrong.

2. Hill soil in stages

For each cutting of Chinese chives, from when the plants are about 10 cm tall, on the basis of earlier soil loosening, take soil from between the rows and hill it up onto the chive roots, 3-4 cm each time, for a total of 2-3 hillings as the Chinese chives grow. Finally, form a small raised ridge 10 cm high. Hilling has four functions:

First, it softens the false stem and can improve the quality of Chinese chives;

Second, greenhouses should use furrow irrigation, and hilling forms a small raised ridge, making furrow irrigation possible;

Third, for certain varieties, such as Jiaxing Baigen, it has the effect of supporting the lower leaf and preventing it from drooping;

Fourth, through hilling, some plants that spread outward, such as Henan 791 and Pingjiu No. 2, are squeezed toward the center of the ridge, which helps improve ventilation and light transmission between rows, raises soil temperature, reduces disease, makes plants grow vigorously, and makes harvesting convenient.

3. Fertilizer and water management and humidity regulation

If water was applied before covering the shed, including antifreeze water applied to “regreening” Chinese chives and with good moisture preservation, then generally no more watering is needed near the time of covering the shed. If water is applied, it will cause slow warming indoors, high humidity, easy disease occurrence, and also make indoor work very inconvenient. Generally speaking, the soil moisture formed before covering the shed can satisfy the needs of the first cutting of Chinese chives for sprouting and early growth, so after covering the shed, watering is generally not emphasized. It is only required to water once with yield-increasing water 3-5 days before harvesting the Chinese chives. This watering has two functions: first, to increase yield and keep stems and leaves fresh and tender; second, to build sufficient subsoil moisture to provide water conditions for the sprouting and early growth of the next cutting of Chinese chives. This is because after the Chinese chives are harvested and before they grow to 7-10 cm, watering cannot be done since the wounds have not yet fully healed. Yield-increasing water can solve this practical problem.

In order to promote increased yield of this cutting and the next cutting of Chinese chives, fertilizer can also be applied with the water when applying yield-increasing water. As required, it is best to apply enzyme bacterial fertilizer for this topdressing. In the past, we applied ammonium nitrate, which would cause the stems and leaves to contain relatively high nitrite. Nitrite is a substance that induces cancer, so it is now strictly prohibited for use on leafy vegetables. The advantage is that it can correct the problem of slightly lighter leaf color in some Chinese chive varieties. After applying enzyme bacterial fertilizer, clean water can be applied once more, or it can be dissolved outdoors and applied along with irrigation water.

The above watering method is a watering model commonly used in the past in various facilities covered with plastic film. The understanding of this watering model is that under plastic film coverage, where little water vapor escapes, watering in this way can both satisfy the water needs of Chinese chive sprouting and growth and avoid disease occurrence caused by excessive air humidity.

But in recent years some farmers have found that during the growth period of Chinese chives, especially when they find that Chinese chive growth is slowing, timely watering helps promote Chinese chive growth.

Therefore, some farmers have broken away from the above watering model and added 1-2 more waterings during the growth period of each cutting of Chinese chives. The author has seen that in a medium shed covered with three layers of film, water is applied about every 7-10 days during the Chinese chive growth period, and the ground is always kept muddy. This practice is not necessarily advisable, but whether we need to adhere to the original model when watering Chinese chives under covered sheds is also a new inspiration.

Chinese chive leaves prefer dryness, and air humidity should not be too high. Generally, the relative humidity should as much as possible not exceed 83%. If humidity is high, especially if dew condensation or a water film appears on the leaf surface, it is very easy to cause disease.

An effective way to lower humidity is ventilation to remove moisture. But ventilation in winter-use solar greenhouses usually also uses temperature as the indicator, and ventilation only begins when the temperature exceeds the upper limit in order to suppress the rise in temperature. Therefore, to control greenhouse humidity and keep it from being too high, the focus should still be on reducing water evaporation from the ground and strengthening insulation so that nighttime temperatures do not get too low.

4. Pest and disease control

After the film is covered, the main pest is root maggots. In chive fields where pesticides were not applied in time during the open-field root-nourishing stage or near the time of covering the shed, there may be large numbers of overwintering larvae or pupae entering the greenhouse and continuing to cause damage.

In the greenhouse, patches of Chinese chives are sometimes found to be stunted and sparse, or even dying continuously. This is usually the result of concentrated damage by root maggots.

If this situation is found, the chive roots should be dug open promptly for inspection, and if it is indeed damage by chive maggots, pesticides should be applied promptly for control. At present, there are two points to note in the use of pesticides for controlling maggots:

First, the continued use of highly toxic pesticides such as 3911, 1605 and carbofuran must be strictly prohibited. Some farmers believe that root maggots are difficult to control and that the more toxic the pesticide used, the better the effect, not realizing that this is very dangerous and also not permitted by technical standards. In fact, using Leisiben for control gives good results and conforms to technical standards.

Second, pesticides should be applied regularly according to technical requirements. Do not wait until root maggots have already caused damage before starting to use pesticides, because that not only costs more money but also yields smaller benefits.

The most troublesome disease in the greenhouse is gray mold (rotten Chinese chives). Comprehensive measures should be used to control gray mold. First, do not let the daytime temperature exceed the upper limit, do not let the nighttime temperature get too low, and maintain a moderate day-night temperature difference. Excess water vapor in the room should be removed promptly.

Second, give priority to prevention and apply pesticides regularly. When Chinese chives are 7-10 cm tall, start using the first pesticide. For this application, it is best to use carbendazim plus neutral laundry detergent. Not only should the plants be sprayed, but the ground should also be sprayed thoroughly to kill some of the pathogens remaining on the ground. After this application, spray other pesticides, such as metalaxyl mancozeb, procymidone, chlorothalonil, etc. It is suitable to apply pesticide once every 7 days; if using triadimefon, apply about once every 10 days. As long as prevention is consistently given priority, gray mold of Chinese chives can be prevented.

IX. Points for Attention

1. Prevent muggy weather and rain from damaging Chinese chives; the rain-prevention measure is to water after rain;

2. Prevent lodging of Chinese chives in early autumn; measures include propping them up with poles, or alternately lifting them on both sides with wooden sticks to improve ventilation;

3. Prevent leaving high stubble when harvesting the first cutting of Chinese chives; the measure is to cut level with the ground or leave only 1 cm;

4. Prevent applying immature base fertilizer; any base fertilizer used this year must be fully decomposed before use;

5. Pinch off flower buds; when flower buds appear on Chinese chives in autumn, pinch them all off to ensure nutrient accumulation;

6. Strictly prohibit the use of highly toxic pesticides; only by ensuring quality can the best economic benefits be created.