The Latest Tutorial on Garlic Chive Planting Techniques and Methods

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), a perennial herbaceous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, are used in medicine as seeds and leaves. They have effects such as strengthening the stomach, refreshing the mind, stopping sweating and astringing, tonifying the kidney and supporting yang, and securing essence. In traditional Chinese medicine, garlic chives have a very resounding name: “yang-supporting herb,” and some people also call garlic chives the “intestine-washing herb.” Not only that, garlic chives have many other names as well. Garlic chives are also called grass stalactite, rising-yang herb, longevity herb, and also flat vegetable.

Pre-sowing Preparation

Dry seeds can be directly sown (mainly for spring sowing). Seeds can also be soaked in warm water at 30-40°C for 8-12 hours to remove impurities and shriveled seeds; after washing off the mucilage on the seeds, wrap them in a wet cloth and place them in an environment of 15-20°C for germination, rinsing with clean water 1-2 times a day, and sowing when 50% of the seeds show white tips (mainly for summer and autumn sowing).

Land Preparation and Fertilization

1. Land preparation. Before sowing, plow the soil deeper than 20 cm; in combination with fertilization, harrow finely after plowing, level the surface and make beds. Where conditions permit, high ridges can be raised for cultivation to facilitate drainage, or flat beds can also be used.

2. Fertilization. In combination with land preparation, broadcast 5000-6000 kg of high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, 6 kg of urea, 10 kg of superphosphate, or use a compound fertilizer converted according to this ratio.

Sowing

1. Sowing time. Sowing can be done at any time after the soil thaws until the Autumn Equinox, generally from late March to early May. Spring sowing is preferable, and summer sowing should be done early rather than late.

2. Sowing rate. 4-5 kg of seed is needed per mu. For open-field seedling raising and transplanting, 1.5-2 kg.

3. Sowing method. Before sowing, first take out part of the surface soil of the bed (sift it, to be used for covering soil after sowing), then shallowly hoe and rake it level. First water once with bottom water, about 3.3 cm deep, and after the water seeps down, water again to a depth of about 3.3 cm. After the water seeps down, scatter the seeds evenly, then cover with about 1.5 cm of soil. The next day, rake level with a toothed rake, keeping the surface soil both loose and moist, which helps the seeds germinate and emerge. After sowing, cover with plastic film to preserve moisture. After more than 30% of the seeds have emerged, remove the plastic film promptly to prevent seedling burn. If white-tipped or lodged seedlings are found, add some more moist soil.

A “dry sowing method” is also used. The dry sowing method means directly sowing dry seeds that have not been pre-germinated into the seedbed. On the prepared seedbed, open small shallow furrows about 10 cm wide and about 1.6 cm deep at a row spacing of 10 cm, scatter the seeds into the furrows, then gently sweep the furrows level with a broom and press them firm, then water once, and water again after 2-3 days. Before and after the seeds emerge, the soil must always be kept in a moist state.

Post-sowing Management

1. Watering and topdressing. In combination with watering, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer 2-3 times, topdressing 6-8 kg of urea per mu. Generally no harvesting is done before planting out, in order to promote root development of the garlic chive seedlings, and by the time of planting out they should reach the standard of strong seedlings.

2. Standard for strong seedlings. Generally the seedling age is 80-90 days, seedling height 15-20 cm, with no pests or diseases per plant and no lodging.

3. Weeding. After emergence, weed by hand promptly and remove diseased and residual plants. Herbicides such as quizalofop-p-ethyl and haloxyfop can also be used to control monocotyledonous weeds, or before emergence after sowing, 30% pendimethalin EC at 100-150 g per mu, diluted with 50 kg of water, can be sprayed on the bed surface.

Planting Out

1. Planting time. Spring-sown seedlings should be planted out after the Summer Solstice, and summer-sown seedlings should be planted out around Major Heat. When planting out, avoid the high-humidity season, as it is unfavorable for the garlic chives to recover and grow after planting out.

2. Planting method. Lift the garlic chive seedlings, cut the fibrous roots short (leaving only 2-3 cm), and cut the leaf tips short (leaving leaf length of 10 cm). In the bed, at a row spacing of 18-20 cm and a hole spacing of 10 cm, plant 7-10 seedlings per hole, suitable for green garlic chives; or open furrows at a row spacing of 30-36 cm, furrow depth 16-20 cm, hole spacing 16 cm, and plant 20-30 seedlings per hole, suitable for producing blanched garlic chives. The planting depth should be such that the tillering node is buried.

Field Management

1. Temperature management. After the greenhouse is sealed, maintain 20-24°C during the day and 12-14°C at night. When the plant height reaches more than 10 cm, maintain 16-20°C during the day; when the temperature inside the greenhouse exceeds 24°C, ventilate to reduce humidity. For cultivation in small arched sheds in winter, strengthen insulation and keep the nighttime temperature above 6°C.

2. Fertilizer and water management. After planting out, when new roots and new leaves appear, topdressing and watering can begin, applying 10-15 kg of urea per mu with the water. At the 4-leaf stage of the seedlings, control water to prevent leggy growth, and strengthen intertillage and weeding. When they grow to the 6-leaf stage and begin tillering, the phenomenon of root jumping appears (the rhizome of the tiller is above the original rhizome); at this time, sand can be spread, soil pressed, or ridges built up to prevent the root system from being exposed above the soil surface. When the seedlings are 20 cm tall, stop topdressing and watering in preparation for harvesting. After harvesting begins, apply fertilizer once after each harvest; when the plants grow to 10 cm after harvesting, in combination with earthing up, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, topdressing 8 kg of urea per mu. When the weather turns cool, watering should be stopped, and one overwintering watering should be given before freezing.

Pest and Disease Control

1. Control principles. According to the policy of “prevention first, comprehensive control,” adhere to the harmless control principle of “giving priority to agricultural control, physical control and biological control, with chemical control as a supplement.” Pesticides must not include the highly toxic, high-residue, and triple-hazard (teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic) pesticides banned by the state or their mixed pesticides.

2. Agricultural control. Strengthen intertillage and weeding, keep the field clean, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and improve stress resistance.

3. Physical control. Use a sugar-wine-vinegar solution to trap and kill adult insects. Prepare the solution with sugar, wine, vinegar, water, and 90% trichlorfon crystal in a ratio of 3:3:1:10:0.5, place 1-3 boxes per mu, replenish at any time, and keep it from drying out, to trap and kill various fly pests.

Chemical Control

1. Garlic chive maggot

① Ground application. During the peak emergence of adults, broadcast 2.5% trichlorfon powder along the rows, 2-2.6 kg per mu, or spray 40% phoxim EC 1000-fold solution or 2.5% deltamethrin EC 200-fold solution from 9-11 a.m., or after watering to drive the pests upward, spray 75% cyromazine at 6-10 g per mu.

② Root drenching. During the initial peak of damage by young maggots (in early spring in early to mid-April, and in late autumn in early to mid-October), carry out chemical root drenching for control. Use 1.1% matrine powder at 2-4 kg per mu, diluted with 1000-2000 kg of water, or 50% phoxim EC 500-fold solution or 48% chlorpyrifos EC 400-500 ml diluted with 1000 kg of water, for one root drenching. Root drenching method: pull aside the surface soil near the garlic chive rhizome, and use a sprayer with the nozzle removed to spray the pesticide directly at the garlic chive roots, then cover with soil immediately after spraying.

2. Leafminer. From the peak egg-laying period to the early larval hatching stage, spray 75% cyromazine 5000-7000-fold solution or 2.5% deltamethrin, 20% fenvalerate or other pyrethroid pesticides at 1500-2000-fold solution.

3. Thrips. During the peak occurrence of larvae, spray 50% phoxim EC 1000-fold solution or 10% imidacloprid 4000-fold solution or 30% acetamiprid 3000-fold solution or 2.5% deltamethrin-type pesticides at 1500-2000-fold solution.

4. Gray mold

① Fumigation method. Use 45% chlorothalonil or iprodione smoke agent, 110 g per mu, or 10% procymidone smoke agent 260-300 g, placed in 5-6 spots, lit in the evening, and keep the greenhouse closed for fumigation overnight.

② Dust method. Use 6.5% dimethirimol dust agent, 1 kg per mu, spray once every 7 days. Spray 2 times consecutively.

③ Powder mist method. Spray 50% procymidone wettable powder 1000-fold solution or iprodione wettable powder 1000-1600-fold solution or 65% thiophanate-methyl and dimethirimol wettable powder 1000-fold solution, once every 7 days, spraying 2 times consecutively.

5. Phytophthora blight

① Dust method. Same as for gray mold.

② In the early stage of disease, spray 25% metalaxyl wettable powder 750-fold solution or 50% metalaxyl-copper wettable powder 600-fold solution or 72% cymoxanil-mancozeb wettable powder, 60% fosetyl-aluminum wettable powder 600-fold solution for root drenching or spraying, once every 10 days, alternating use 2-3 times.

6. Rust

In the early stage of disease, use 15% triadimefon wettable powder 1000-1500-fold solution or 25% diniconazole EC 3000-fold solution, about once every 10 days, spraying 2 times consecutively; diniconazole, triadimenol, etc. can also be used for control.

Timely Harvesting

In the year of planting out, focus on “nurturing roots and strengthening seedlings” and do not harvest; if there are garlic chive flowers, remove them promptly. When the garlic chives grow to about 25 cm, they can be harvested. Choose a sunny morning for harvesting; when harvesting, keep the knife 2-4 cm above the ground, and it is best if the cut is yellow; the cut should be neat and uniform. Generally, one crop is harvested every 20-25 days. During harvesting, the tools used must be clean, hygienic, and pollution-free.