A detailed guide to practical Chinese chive cultivation techniques to help you grow Chinese chives well

Chinese chives are rich in nutrients, containing vitamins, minerals, sugars, protein and fiber, and they have a unique flavor that can stimulate the appetite, which is why they are so well loved by the general public. Chinese chives are a perennial vegetable, and from planting to the end of the cropping cycle, cultivation generally takes 3-5 years, and some last as long as 8-10 years. Practical Chinese chive cultivation techniques are detailed as follows:

I. Practical Chinese chive cultivation techniques

1. Planting time and methods for Chinese chives

Chinese chives prefer cool conditions, are cold-tolerant and also heat-tolerant. Generally speaking, sowing can be done from after the soil thaws until the Autumn Equinox, and in most regions spring sowing is the main method. Drilling is used as the sowing method, and immediately after sowing a plastic mulch film should be laid over the soil; when large numbers of seedlings push through the soil, remove the film.

2. Fertilizing and watering Chinese chives

If Chinese chive planting is to lay a foundation for high yield, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied before sowing, but the fertilizer must be fully fermented and decomposed. The sowing depth should generally be kept within 2cm, and the sowing density can be appropriately higher. After sowing, water thoroughly, and before emergence, whenever the soil surface looks dry, water again; in about 15 days the seedlings will emerge completely.

3. Daily management of Chinese chives

The daily management of Chinese chives is relatively simple; basically only weeding and watering are needed. But if you want them to grow quickly and strongly, fertilizer must keep up. When the Chinese chives reach a height of more than 10cm, they can be top-dressed, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main type applied. For top-dressing, apply fertilizer once with each watering, and also apply fertilizer once after each cutting of Chinese chives. Sufficient fertilizer is the key of keys to making Chinese chives grow stronger and stronger.

4. Field management of Chinese chives

After new leaves emerge from the Chinese chives, water to help the seedlings recover, and carry out intertillage to preserve soil moisture, keeping the soil alternately dry and moist. After autumn begins, Chinese chives are in their most vigorous growth period, so fertilizer and water must be supplied abundantly. After that, as temperatures gradually drop and plant growth slows, it is enough to keep the soil surface from drying out, and after frost the crop enters the plastic tunnel management stage.

5. Key harvesting points for Chinese chives

Although Chinese chives are harvested by cutting the regrowth, attention must be paid to the harvesting interval, which generally must not be less than one month. For the last cutting of Chinese chives in autumn, harvesting should be stopped, mainly to prepare the Chinese chives for winter dormancy.

II. How do Chinese chives overwinter safely in winter?

1. Water

The water here mainly refers to the insulating water for Chinese chives; only after the water is fully irrigated can the Chinese chives grow better in the cold winter. Farmers need to get the watering time right; too early or too late is not acceptable. If it is too early, the water will be absorbed very early, so the goal of using water to keep the soil from freezing cannot be achieved. If it is too late, the Chinese chive field will first suffer frost damage, and then when you water, not only will it fail to prevent frost damage to the Chinese chives, it will also make the frost damage problem more serious, thereby causing the death of the Chinese chive root system.

Therefore, according to the different temperatures in each growing region, the timing of this watering is best chosen around the first 10 days of December each year, with a temperature of about 5 degrees being suitable.

2. Fertilizer

Even in winter, Chinese chives still need a certain amount of fertilizer. The benefit of fertilizing in winter is that it can promote the Chinese chives turning green and help them grow better in spring. Generally, human manure can be used for fertilizing, with an appropriate amount per mu, about 3000 jin.

Finally, a reminder of two points that are easy to forget: ridging and straw mulching can both also play a role in frost prevention. Proper ridging can protect the roots of Chinese chives in the cold winter; in winter, generally about three rounds of ridging are enough. Put plainly, this means piling the soil between the Chinese chives up around the roots of the Chinese chives. Covering the Chinese chive field with straw can help the Chinese chives better prevent frost and retain moisture.