How to prevent short, thin, and hollow scallion white? Management must not be relaxed next year

Scallions (Welsh onions) are one of the indispensable vegetable varieties on people's dining tables. In consumers' eyes, scallions with long, thick, and not easily hollow scallion white are truly good scallions.

1. Reasons why scallion white is short, thin, and prone to hollowing

1. Variety type. Scallions are divided into two types: long-white and short-white. The length of the scallion white is related to the variety, so long-white varieties should be used in production.

2. Soil quality and cultivation conditions. The selected plot has heavy clay soil, shallow and coarse plowing, and untimely intertillage and hilling during the growing period, causing soil compaction below the roots. Planting is shallow, row spacing is small, base fertilizer is insufficient, and topdressing is not enough; there are no irrigation conditions and the crop relies entirely on natural rainfall. Once drought occurs, the scallions lose fertilizer and dehydration results.

3. Untimely harvest. If harvested too late, the nutrients stored in the scallion white transfer downward, and the upper part of the scallion white loses water and becomes soft; if harvested early to seize the market, most of the scallion white will become hollow after drying because the nutrients in the green leaves have not yet transferred into the scallion white.

2. Preventive measures and integrated management

1. Select excellent long-white scallion varieties, such as Zhangqiu scallion, Gu scallion (biangan scallion), etc.

2. Choose a plot with deep soil, fertile soil, and good drainage, and plow deeply and harrow finely. Generally, deep plowing should be more than 30 cm, with trenches 20-30 cm deep and 15-30 cm wide or more, and ridges 70-80 cm wide between furrows to facilitate hilling. Before planting, open furrows and apply fertilizer, applying 1000-5000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, then loosen the furrow soil deeply so that manure and soil are combined.

3. Plant between Mangzhong (Grain in Ear) and Xiaoshu (Minor Heat); earlier is better than later. If planting is too late, the formation period of the scallion white is short, so the scallion white will be short and thin with low yield. At the same time, the seedlings are prone to excessive growth, and after planting the hot weather makes it difficult for them to recover.

4. When planting scallions, plant deeply and cover shallowly so that soil can be hilled in stages later. Generally, plant spacing is 1 cm and soil cover is about 8 cm, with the standard being not to bury the heart leaf of the scallion seedling. Before planting, select the scallion seedlings, choosing seedlings with stems about 1 cm thick, 3-4 leaves, 30-40 cm tall, and free of pests and diseases.

5. Strengthen cultivation management. From after planting to before Liqiu (Start of Autumn) is the seedling recovery and summering period. During the semi-dormant state, intertillage should be strengthened to conserve moisture and promote root development. If the soil is not dry, it is best not to water. From after Liqiu to before Bailu (White Dew), the plants enter the peak leaf-growing period. From about late August to late September, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened, applying 15 kg of urea per mu. After topdressing, soil should be buried, hilled, and irrigated in time. After Bailu, the plants enter the scallion white growth period. Fertilization should focus mainly on quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, and watering should be frequent and heavy, keeping the soil moist regularly to meet the needs of scallion white growth.

6. Combine intertillage with hilling. Before the rainy season arrives, slightly hill the furrows up to the ridge platform to prevent water accumulation in the planting furrows from causing root and stem rot. After Liqiu, hill once every 10-15 days. Hilling is an effective measure to increase the length of the scallion white, for a total of 3-4 times. The first hilling should be shallow to raise soil temperature; the latter two should involve more soil, especially the last one, which should be hilled as high as possible without exceeding the heart leaf.

7. When the heart leaf stops growing, 15-20 days before the soil freezes is the suitable harvest period. Generally, harvest from Shuangjiang (Frost's Descent) to Lidong (Start of Winter).