When should chives be fertilized, how should they be fertilized, and which fertilizer is best?
Chives, also known as lazy man's vegetable, yang-promoting grass, long-life chives, mountain chives, grass stalactite, etc., are a relatively common perennial herbaceous root vegetable in China. Because the whole plant is edible and it has effects such as strengthening the stomach and tonifying the kidneys, it is deeply welcomed by people. But to grow chives well, you need to master fertilization well. So when is the best time to fertilize chives? How should they be fertilized? Which fertilizer is best?
Fertilization time:
Generally, within the first five days and the last five days before the Start of Autumn each year, this can ensure the current growth needs of chives and the accumulation of nutrients for the future. Fertilization should follow the “three combinations” principle, namely combining quick-acting fertilizer with slow-release fertilizer, combining macroelement fertilizer with microelement fertilizer, and combining organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer plus spraying New High Lipid Film, greatly improving the effective component rate of the fertilizer.
Choose a sunny afternoon, first do one pass of shallow hoeing. Per mu of land, mix 40 kg of compound fertilizer, 3.5 kg of ferrous sulfate, 1.5 kg of borax, 2.5 kg of zinc sulfate, 2.5 kg of manganese sulfate, and 500-750 kg of soybean cake evenly. Use a 1000-fold phoxim aqueous solution to evenly spray the mixed fertilizer thoroughly. After spreading it evenly among the chive beds, use a half-meter-long 5-tooth small rake inserted under the chive racks and shallow hoe along the rows. Try not to expose the organic fertilizer on the soil surface, otherwise the meaning of fertilization is lost. Finally, irrigate heavily once along the rows, and spray phoxim or pyrethroid pesticides on the leaves of the whole bed to strictly prevent flies from laying eggs. After 5-7 days, irrigate a second time. Note that for newly planted chives in the same year, while the chive leaves have not yet crossed and closed the rows, shallow hoe 2-3 cm, fertilize evenly, and then do another shallow hoeing and watering.
Fertilization pattern:
At the seedling stage, the growth amount and fertilizer consumption are relatively small, but during the vigorous vegetative growth period, especially in the spring and autumn harvest seasons, the growth amount and fertilizer demand are large, so large amounts of fertilizer should be applied in stages. Chives 2-4 years old grow vigorously, have strong tillering ability, high yield, and the largest fertilizer demand, and are the peak period of fertilizer need. Chives over 5 years old gradually enter the aging stage. To prevent premature aging, fertilization needs to be strengthened.
When the seedlings emerge and true leaves are released, the root system gradually increases. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, a seedling-promoting fertilizer can be applied once, and watering should be done promptly after fertilization. When the seedlings have 4-5 leaves, another fertilization can be applied. The amount is basically the same as the first topdressing. During the seedling stage, about every 20 days, one topdressing can be applied. Drainage and waterlogging prevention are also needed, keeping the bed surface alternating between dry and wet.
Chives have strong adaptability to soil and can be planted in sandy soil, loam, or clay, but soil with deep layers, loose plow layer, and fertility is best. Chives need a large amount of nitrogen and should be combined with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to improve the yield and quality of the main edible parts, the leaves and leaf sheaths.
Applying sufficient base fertilizer is very important for planting chives. Generally, it is applied when preparing the land and making beds. We can buy decomposed organic fertilizers such as chicken manure and cow manure, and apply them into the soil as base fertilizer before transplanting.
Timely topdressing: Start topdressing only after transplanting and survival, apply once every 5—6 days until harvesting begins, and afterward apply topdressing once or twice after each harvest. Do not fertilize during bolting; fertilize after flowering to promote tillering. For fertilization time, apply once each year when stopping the harvest of chives, and when chives sprout 2-4 cm, apply organic fertilizer once combined with intertillage. When fertilizing, do not apply nitrogen fertilizer alone. The timing should be controlled to 3-4 days after each chive harvest when new leaves have grown, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be fully mixed before application.
Chives like human manure fertilizer. When planting in a yard, those who have conditions can consider it, for example a baby's feces and urine, composted in a bucket for 2 months, then used for topdressing after transplanting and survival, applied once every 5—6 days, with the concentration gradually increased from 10% manure water to 50%. After each harvest, topdressing can be applied 1-2 times. Other organic fertilizers, such as kitchen waste, are also good fertilizers, and among them earthworm fertilizer is the top recommendation.
Which fertilizer is best to apply?
Organic fertilizer + quick-acting fertilizer applied in stages as topdressing is the most ideal. Chive buds are fragile and have relatively weak ability to push through the soil and emerge, so for some fields where the soil is not loose enough, heavy application of organic fertilizer such as cow manure should be used to improve it.
Chives can be directly sown or planted as seedlings, and both spring and autumn are suitable for planting (and are also peak growth periods). With proper management, they can safely pass through summer and winter. Chives are mostly sold as stems and leaves, so they can be harvested and marketed during the vegetative growth stage. In addition to applying sufficient loose and fertile organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer as base fertilizer, quick-acting fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer should also be added as topdressing.
During the seedling stage, urea should be added promptly to promote growth, with 20 jin of urea per mu applied with irrigation. When there are 5 true leaves, seedlings should be hardened to promote root management. At this time, underground pests may breed due to climate reasons, and matrine and chlorpyrifos can be applied with water during irrigation for prevention.
For newly planted chives, in the first year, attention should be paid to strengthening seedlings and nourishing roots. Especially in autumn, which is a season of rapid chive growth, a heavy application of fertilizer should be made. Decomposed manure or soybean cake can be used, about 1 thousand jin per mu (can be determined according to field fertility). The recommended fertilization method is trench application, then timely shallow hoeing, covering with soil, and watering. At this time, the field should be kept moist, and watering should be done when humidity is below 50%.
When planting chives, it is best to follow the practice of topdressing once after each harvest. The recommended fertilization plan: balanced and moderate; applying nitrogen fertilizer alone will increase nitrate accumulation in chives, so phosphorus, potassium, and organic fertilizers should be reasonably combined to produce pollution-free chives.