Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Growing Chives in Greenhouses
Chives are a common vegetable in our country. They can be eaten cold-tossed or stir-fried with eggs, so they are very popular in the market. Currently, many greenhouses grow them, so what are the techniques for growing chives in greenhouses?
1. Site selection and greenhouse construction: The site for greenhouse chives should be chosen with convenient transportation, good irrigation conditions, and organic-rich sandy loam soil. Build the beds running north-south, with a bed width of 1.5 m, a ditch width of 0.6 m, and a length of 30-40 m. Build one greenhouse for every 2 beds.
2. Seed treatment: Greenhouse chives can be sown in spring or autumn. Based on the cropping schedule, spring sowing is better. Spring sowing is in early April, and autumn sowing is in mid-to-late September. After choosing the time, soak the seeds in 30-40°C warm water for 8-12 h or in cool water for 48 h. After removing and draining the water, wrap them in a gauze bag and place them under 15-20°C conditions to germinate. Rinse once daily with clean water. After 2-3 days, when most seeds have sprouted white, sow them immediately.
3. Sowing and raising seedlings: Sow the seeds in shallow furrows with a row spacing of 10-12 cm, a depth of 1.5-2.0 cm, and a width of 2 cm. The seedlings will grow slightly crowded but are easier to manage. Before sowing, first water the beds thoroughly with bottom water. After the water seeps down, scatter 0.2-0.3 cm of base soil on the bed surface, then sow.
4. Management techniques after emergence:
(1) Timely thinning and replanting: After 3 days of sowing, check every morning whether seedlings have emerged. After emergence, remove the plastic film promptly to prevent seedling burn. After the seedlings emerge, promote first and then control.
(2) Water requirements: From the emergence of the first true leaf until 3-4 leaves, the plant root system is fine and weak and mostly distributed in the surface soil, so it must not lack water. Generally, water once every 3-5 days.
(3) Fertilizer requirements: When the seedlings grow 5 leaves and the seedling height is 10-12 cm, the root system is already relatively well developed. Properly control watering to prevent excessive growth causing lodging. After the seedling height reaches about 12 cm, apply topdressing 2-3 times in combination with watering, applying 10-15 kg of urea per 667 sq m each time. In addition to water and fertilizer management during the seedling stage, manual weeding should be done as early, as small, and as thoroughly as possible.
(4) Cultivation and hilling: Generally, in the first year after planting, hilling is needed 3 times. The first time is when the seedling height is 25 cm, hill 1-2 cm; the second time is when the seedling height is 30 cm, hill another 1-2 cm; the third time is when the seedling height is 35-40 cm, and the hilling can be appropriately higher but must not exceed the leaf sheath.
(5) Covering the greenhouse at the right time: For greenhouse-cultivated chives, generally in mid-November the greenhouse film is fastened to cover the greenhouse, and in early April the greenhouse film is removed. During the period when the greenhouse film is covered, pay attention to temperature management inside the greenhouse. When the temperature is high, ventilate promptly, and the daytime greenhouse temperature must not exceed 25°C; when the temperature is low, close the greenhouse promptly and keep the nighttime temperature not lower than 5°C. When the temperature is too low, add a small arched shed inside the greenhouse for insulation.
(6) Weeding: After land preparation and before transplanting, herbicides such as 48% trifluralin emulsifiable concentrate at 400 times dilution, 50% prometryn wettable powder at 500 times dilution, 50% acetochlor emulsifiable concentrate at 500 times dilution, and 33% pendimethalin emulsifiable concentrate at 300 times dilution can be sprayed in the field to seal and prevent weeds. If weeds appear in the field after planting, it is no longer suitable to use herbicides, and they should be pulled by hand promptly, the earlier the better.
(7) Pest control: Common diseases and pests mainly include Phytophthora blight, gray mold, sclerotinia, onion aphids, and chive late-eye fungus gnats, so preventive measures should be taken in advance. For pests, apply the right treatment promptly.
Overall, chives are very easy to grow. As long as the greenhouse is built well, the seeds are selected well, the seeds are sown well, and the work of water and fertilizer management, pest and disease control, and weeding is done well, it will be fine.