The Simplest Way to Grow Garlic Chives: Latest Guide

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are a perennial root vegetable of the genus Allium in the Liliaceae family, native to southeastern Asia. They are cultivated everywhere across our country, highly adaptable, cold- and heat-tolerant, and can be produced year-round in many southern regions. In the north, although the aboveground parts die back in winter, the underground parts enter dormancy, and after the topsoil thaws in spring they can resume sprouting and growing. Now let's take a look together at the simplest way to grow garlic chives!

Land preparation and fertilizing

The seedling bed for garlic chives should be easy to drain and irrigate, and should be sandy loam or clay loam where allium crops have not been grown in the past 1-2 years. Deep plow before winter, water to freeze the soil, and in the following spring harrow and plow as soon as the soil surface thaws to preserve moisture. Apply 4-5 cubic meters of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. To prevent onion maggots, use 5% phoxim granules at one kilogram per mu, add 10-15 kilograms of dry fine soil, spread evenly, then shallow plow and harrow finely, level and make beds. The beds should be 1.2-1.5 meters wide and 7-10 meters long for easy management.

Sowing seedlings at the right time

Garlic chive seedlings grow slowly, so sowing should be done early at the right time, preferably from late March to late April. After soaking the seeds to promote germination, use the wet sowing method to broadcast them in the seedling bed, covering with soil in two passes: first a thin layer of soil, then after it moistens, a second cover. The total soil cover should be 2 cm thick, with a seeding rate of 6-8 kilograms per mu. After covering with soil, put on a layer of plastic film to help raise temperature and preserve moisture, and remove the film after the seedlings emerge. Generally, 1 mu of seedlings can plant 7-9 mu of vegetable field.

Seedling bed management

When garlic chive seedlings are about 5 cm tall, water lightly once and loosen the soil promptly. After they reach 10 cm, you can apply decomposed manure or topdress urea 2-3 times along with watering, and flush-apply crystal trichlorfon at 0.5-1 kilogram per mu with the water to kill onion maggots and other pests. After the seedlings reach 15 cm, control irrigation to prevent excessive growth and lodging. Weeds should be pulled promptly; when the seedlings are about 12 cm tall, use 0.5-0.75 kilogram of 25% nitrofen per mu for control, or before emergence after sowing, spray 0.15 kilogram of 33% pendimethalin EC per mu to treat the soil surface.

Reasonable planting out

For planting out garlic chives, choose a plot with fertile soil that is easy to drain and irrigate, apply 4-5 cubic meters of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, level and make beds. The beds should be 2-3 meters wide, with every 3 beds as a group, and a 1-meter-wide cold-protection strip on the north side. Transplant from late June to early July. Before planting out, cut off the tips of the fibrous roots and sort 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, preferably 6-8 plants per hole. When planting, do not bury the leaf sheaths. After planting, firm the soil and water promptly.

Field management

After new leaves emerge, garlic chives should be watered to help them recover from transplanting, and the soil should be cultivated to preserve moisture, keeping the soil alternately dry and moist. After autumn begins, garlic chives are in their most vigorous growth period and need a full supply of fertilizer and water. As temperatures gradually drop afterward, the plants grow slowly, and it is enough to keep the soil surface from drying out. Garlic chives need moderate light intensity and have strong shade tolerance. But if light is too weak, photosynthetic products accumulate less, tillering is reduced and thin, yields are low, and premature aging is easy. If light is too strong and temperatures too high, there are more fibers and quality is poor.

Harvesting at the right time

In the first 1-2 years after planting out, garlic chive yields are relatively low; from 3-6 years they are in the peak growth period with the highest yields; after 10 years they enter the aging stage and should be divided and transplanted promptly. The number of harvests each year depends on the growth vigor of the garlic chives, the fertilizing situation, and market conditions. The standard for cutting garlic chives is 7 leaves and 1 heart, and harvesting in the early morning is best. It is best to cut down to the yellow leaf sheath 3-4 cm above the bulb, and each subsequent cut should be slightly higher than the previous one to ensure normal growth.