When to plant wild chives? Key points of planting techniques explained

Among the jagged rocks and grassy thickets grow many fresh, emerald-green wild chives. They look exactly the same as domestic chives, and it is very hard to tell them apart by appearance. Wild chives have lush foliage all year round, flower and set seed, and stay green through all four seasons. They not only have high culinary value, but also good medicinal properties, and their flavor is unique, with a fragrant aroma as well. An introduction to the planting time and key points of planting techniques for wild chives.

1. Planting time for wild chives

According to relevant information, wild chives can be sown at any time from after the soil thaws to the Autumn Equinox, generally from late March to early May, with spring sowing being preferable; for summer sowing, earlier is better than later.

2. Planting techniques for wild chives

As long as the surrounding environmental conditions are suitable, wild chives can be planted. Wild chives are suited not only to cooler weather with moderate to high rainfall, but also to growth in the tropics and subtropics. Most varieties can withstand a low temperature of -2.8°C, while some varieties can withstand a low temperature of -4.4°C. The specific details are as follows:

1. Land preparation

Before planting wild chives, the land needs to be prepared first, then fertilized. It has fairly high soil requirements: the soil fertility must be sufficient, the soil texture must be loose, and drainage must be good, so this point must be paid attention to. When preparing the land, decomposed powdered manure can be chosen for application.

2. Digging trenches

After completing the land preparation work, the next step is digging trenches. The spacing should be set properly; a trench can be opened at intervals of about 10 cm. Then the seeds are planted into it. After planting, the seed germination work should be done well, and in about a week, they will sprout.

3. Transplanting

After wild chives have sprouted, the transplanting work should be done well. Care is needed during transplanting, and about 10 seedlings should be planted in each hole. Then the field management work should be done well, keeping the soil moist and applying fertilizer at the appropriate times.

4. Summer management

In summer, the temperature is relatively high, and at this time wild chives enter a dormant period, so the drainage work must be done well at this time, and rain protection can be provided at the appropriate times; otherwise, root rot is very likely to occur.

5. Harvesting

When harvesting, it can generally be harvested in 10 days to half a month. Do not pull out all the roots; when harvesting, cutting at about 2 cm above the ground is best.

6. Blanching cultivation

Wild chives are not only harvested as fresh chives; they can also be grown by blanching cultivation. Generally, 2-3 year old wild chives that are robust and have a relatively large number of tillers are more suitable for blanching cultivation. When the plants grow vigorously and robustly, blanching treatment is carried out after harvesting the fresh chives. For blanching cultivation, opaque materials such as bamboo tubes and tile tubes are commonly used. Bamboo tubes and tile tubes have the characteristic of not conducting heat easily, so this method is more suitable for use in the hot, rainy season in South China. Generally, tile tubes have a hole with a cover; during the day the hole is covered to block light, and at night the cover is opened to facilitate ventilation and reduce humidity, preventing rot. In spring, summer, and autumn, after 7-10 days, and in winter and early spring, after 10-15 days, 1 harvest can be made, with a yield of 800-1000 kg per mu.