How Many Days for Chive Seeds to Germinate? A Detailed Guide to Germination Time
Chives (Allium tuberosum) are a perennial root vegetable of the Liliaceae family, also known as everlasting chives, lazy man's vegetable, grass clockwort, etc. They are highly adaptable, cold-resistant and heat-tolerant, and are cultivated everywhere across our country. The leaves, flower stalks and flowers are all eaten as vegetables, and the seeds can be used as medicine, having effects such as tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the stomach, promoting qi and refreshing the mind, and stopping sweating and astringing. Let's take a look below at how many days it takes for chive seeds to germinate!
How Many Days for Chive Seeds to Germinate?
Chive seeds germinate in about a week. Chive seeds are relatively hard and absorb water and swell slowly. To speed up emergence, soak the seeds to promote 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 air for a while to disperse the surface moisture of the seeds, 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 with spring sowing as the main method. In the Huang-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, each mu of seedbed uses 6-8 kg of dry seed, which can plant 6000 sq m of vegetable land. 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 Simply Plant Chive Seeds?
1. Seedbed preparation: The chive seedling bed should be easy to drain and irrigate, and be sandy loam or clay loam where onion and garlic vegetables have not been grown in the past 1-2 years. Deep plow before winter, water with frozen water, and in the following spring harrow and plow while the ground is still frozen to preserve soil 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, evenly broadcast, and after shallow plowing, harrow finely, level and make beds. The beds are 1.2-1.5 m wide and 7-10 m long for easy management.
2. Seed treatment: For chives, use new seeds. If the early spring temperature is rather low, dry seeds can be sown. To seize the moisture and achieve emergence, the seeds can be soaked to promote 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, rub and wash them clean, then change to warm water at 30°C and soak for 8-10 hours, and keep them at 18-20°C to promote 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, water lightly once and loosen the soil in time. After 10 cm, decomposed manure or urea can be applied along with watering 2-3 times as a top dressing, and crystal trichlorfon can be flushed with the water at 0.5-1 kg per mu 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 in time. 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, with every 3 beds as a group. Transplant from late June to early July. Before planting out, cut off the ends of the fibrous roots and sort them into small bundles aligned at the bulbs. Plant in holes on flat beds, with a row spacing of 13-20 cm and a hole spacing of 10-15 cm, with 6-8 plants per hole being suitable. When planting, it is suitable not to bury the leaf sheaths; after planting, firm the soil and water in time.