How long does it take for garlic chives to go from planting to market? Read this one article to understand their effects and functions

Garlic chives belong to the Liliaceae family as a perennial root vegetable, with strong adaptability, cold and heat resistance, and are cultivated everywhere across China. They are a common dish on people's dining tables, so how long does it take for garlic chives to go from planting to market? What effects and functions do they have? Next, let us learn about them together.

How long does it take for garlic chives to go from planting to market?

Garlic chives, also known as: Fengben, Caozhongru, Qiyangcao, lazy man's vegetable, Changshengjiu, Zhuangyangcao, Biancai, etc.; they have a special strong odor, with rhizomes lying horizontally, bulbs narrowly conical, clustered; the bulb tunic is yellowish brown, reticulate fibrous; leaves basal, linear, flat; umbel terminal. The leaves, flower stalks and flowers are all eaten as vegetables; the seeds and other parts can be used as medicine, with effects such as tonifying the kidney, strengthening the stomach, refreshing the mind, and stopping sweating and astringing. In traditional Chinese medicine, some people call garlic chives the “intestine-washing grass”. Garlic chives are harvested regardless of season, and can be cut after three to four months, with a height of about 15CM being optimal. If transplanted, the first cut is after about a month and a half, and afterward they are cut once every twenty-odd days. The number of harvests of garlic chives each year depends on their growth, fertilization conditions and market conditions. In winter and spring, garlic chives in arched sheds can be harvested 3 times. Although the quality in autumn is good, in order to cultivate the root stock and lay the material foundation for growth in arched sheds, it is appropriate to harvest l-2 times. The standard for cutting garlic chives is 7 leaves and 1 heart. Harvesting in the early morning is best. It is appropriate to cut to 3-4cm above the bulb at the yellow leaf sheath. Afterward, each cut should be slightly higher than the previous one to ensure normal growth. In the first 1-2 years after planting, the yield is relatively low; years 3-6 are the peak growth period, with the highest yield; after 10 years they enter the aging stage, and timely division and transplanting should be carried out.

What effects and functions do garlic chives have?

1. Tonify the kidney and warm yang: Garlic chives are warm in nature and pungent in taste, but contain no aphrodisiac ingredients.

2. Benefit the liver and strengthen the stomach: They contain special components such as volatile essential oils and sulfides, giving off a unique pungent aroma, which helps to regulate liver qi, increase appetite, and enhance digestive function.

3. Promote qi and regulate blood: The pungent odor of garlic chives has the effect of dissipating blood stasis, invigorating blood, promoting qi and relieving stagnation, and is suitable for traumatic injuries, nausea, enteritis, vomiting blood, chest pain and other conditions.

4. Moisten the intestines and relieve constipation: They contain large amounts of vitamins and crude fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, treat constipation, and prevent intestinal cancer.

Types of garlic chives

China has very rich garlic chive variety resources, and according to the edible part they can be divided into four types: root garlic chives, leaf garlic chives, flower garlic chives, and leaf-flower dual-purpose garlic chives.

Root garlic chives

Root garlic chives are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet and other places in China, also known as Piejie, broad-leaf garlic chives, large-leaf garlic chives, mountain garlic chives, chicken-foot garlic chives, etc. The roots and flower stalks are mainly eaten. The root system is thick and strong, fleshy, with a pungent aroma, and can be processed by pickling or boiling. The flower stalks are plump and tender and can be stir-fried, and the tender leaves can also be eaten. Root garlic chives mainly reproduce asexually, have strong tillering ability, vigorous growth, and are easy to cultivate. They are mainly harvested and dug up in autumn.

Leaf garlic chives

The leaves of leaf garlic chives are broad, thick, soft and tender, with a low bolting rate. Although they can also bolt for food during the reproductive growth stage, the leaves and leaf sheaths are mainly used for food. They are commonly cultivated throughout China. This type is mainly used for blanching cultivation.

Flower garlic chives

Flower garlic chives are specially grown to harvest the garlic chive flower stalk part for food. Their leaves are short and small, coarse and hard in texture, with strong tillering ability and a high bolting rate. The flower stalks are tall and thick, crisp and tender in quality, shaped like garlic sprouts, and especially beautiful in flavor. They are cultivated more in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, and Taiwan, China. Shandong and other places also have scattered introduced cultivation. There are many varieties of flower garlic chives, such as the small-leaf type: strong bolting and tillering, narrow and short leaves, darker color, thin leaf sheaths with a slightly green color, relatively hard leaves and leaf sheaths, early maturing, dual-purpose for leaves and flowers, medium quality; Annual flower garlic chives: especially strong bolting, long and large flower stems, medium-wide and long leaves, dark green, large leaf sheaths, slightly yellow-red in color. The leaves and leaf sheaths are relatively hard, the bolting period is long, and they can bolt throughout the year; the leaf part is not suitable for eating, and it is mainly grown for harvesting stalks; Annual Flower No. 2: thick and large flower stems, excellent quality, tolerant of low temperatures.

Leaf-flower dual-purpose garlic chives

The leaves and flower stalks of leaf-flower dual-purpose garlic chives develop well and both can be eaten. At present, most garlic chive varieties cultivated in China are of this type. This type can also be used for blanching cultivation.

In production, according to the width of garlic chive leaves, they can be divided into two types: broad-leaf garlic chives and narrow-leaf garlic chives.

Broad-leaf garlic chives

Broad-leaf garlic chives: leaves broad and thick, leaf sheaths stout, quality soft and tender, aroma slightly faint, prone to lodging, suitable for open-field cultivation or blanching cultivation.

Narrow-leaf garlic chives

Narrow-leaf garlic chives: leaves narrow and long, leaf color darker, leaf sheaths thin and tall, fiber content slightly higher, strong uprightness, not easy to lodge, suitable for open-field cultivation.