How Many Days for Chive Seeds to Germinate? A Detailed Explanation of Germination Time
Chives are a perennial root vegetable of the Liliaceae family, also known as everlasting chives, lazy man's vegetable, grass stalactite, etc. They have strong adaptability, are cold-resistant and heat-tolerant, and are cultivated everywhere in our country. The leaves, scapes and flowers are all eaten as vegetables, and the seeds can be used as medicine, having the effects of tonifying the kidney and strengthening the stomach, promoting qi circulation and refreshing the spirit, stopping sweating and astringing. Now let's take a look at how many days it takes for chive seeds to germinate!
How many days do chive seeds take to germinate?
Chive seeds germinate in about a week. Chive seeds are rather hard and absorb water and swell slowly. To make them sprout quickly, soak the seeds to speed germination before sowing. Start by soaking them in warm water at 40°C, stirring constantly. When the water temperature drops below 30°C, continue soaking for 12 hours, then rub and wash them clean with clear water, spread them out to dry for a while to let the surface moisture of the seeds disperse, wrap the seeds in a damp cloth, and keep them at 15-20°C, rinsing once a day with clear water. After 3-5 days, when most of the seeds show a white tip, they can be sown. After sowing, if the soil and temperature are suitable, the germination time of chive seeds is about a week.
When are chive seeds sown?
Chives can be sown at any time from after the soil thaws to the Autumn Equinox, generally mainly in spring. In the Yellow River-Huai River basin, spring sowing of chives is from early April to mid-April; in the south, from December to February; in the north, from May to June. When the ground temperature is stable above 12°C and the daily average temperature is 15-18°C, they can be sown. Using drilling, 6-8 kg of dry seed per mu of seedbed can plant 6000 sq m of vegetable plot. After sowing, immediately cover with plastic film to keep and raise the temperature, and remove the film when 70% of the seedlings push through the soil.
How to sow chive seeds simply?
1. Seedbed preparation: The chive seedling bed should be easy to drain and irrigate, a sandy loam or clay loam where no onion or garlic vegetables have been grown in the past 1-2 years. Deep plow before winter, water to freeze, and in the following spring harrow and plow while the soil is still frozen to preserve moisture. Apply 4-5 cubic meters of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. To prevent onion maggots, 5% phoxim granules can be used at 1 kg per mu, plus 10-15 kg of dry fine soil, spread evenly, then shallow plowed and finely harrowed, leveled and made into beds 1.2-1.5 m wide and 7-10 m long for easy management.
2. Seed treatment: For chives, use new seeds. If the temperature in early spring is on the low side, dry seed sowing can be used. To seize the moisture and get seedlings up, the seeds can be soaked to speed germination. Before seed treatment, sun the seeds for 1-2 days. 1-2 days before sowing, put the selected seeds into warm water at 40°C, stir vigorously, take them out and rub them clean, then change to warm water at 30°C and soak for 8-10 hours, and keep them at 18-20°C to speed germination, rinsing twice a day with clear water. When 60% of the radicles protrude, sow immediately.
3. Seedling management: When chive seedlings are about 5 cm tall, give a light watering and loosen the soil in time. After 10 cm, you can apply decomposed manure or topdress urea 2-3 times along with watering, and flush-apply crystalline trichlorfon at 0.5-1 kg per mu with the water to kill pests such as onion maggots. After the seedlings are 15 cm tall, control irrigation to prevent excessive growth and lodging. Weeds should be pulled out promptly. When the seedlings are about 12 cm tall, use 0.5-0.75 kg of 25% nitrofen per mu for control.
4. Reasonable planting out: For planting out chives, choose a plot with fertile soil and convenient drainage and irrigation, apply 4-5 cubic meters of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, level and make beds. The beds are 2-3 m wide, in groups of 3 beds. Transplant from late June to early July. Before planting out, cut off the ends of the fibrous roots and arrange them into small bundles even with the bulbs. Plant in holes on flat beds, with row spacing of 13-20 cm and hole spacing of 10-15 cm, with 6-8 plants per hole being suitable. When planting, it is best not to bury the leaf sheaths. After planting, firm the soil and water promptly.