How to propagate society garlic? Introduction to common propagation methods

  Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family as a perennial herbaceous plant, a bulbous flower, with a plant height of 30-50 cm, bearing cylindrical small bulbs, and forming clumps as mature plants. Apart from the flower color differing from Chinese chives (Chinese chives generally have white flowers, while this flower is purple), its other characteristics are all similar to Chinese chives. Moreover, the whole plant has a strong chive odor and can be eaten just like Chinese chives, whether stir-fried, served cold with dressing, or made into soup. Therefore it is also called foreign chive or foreign Chinese chive. Its terminal umbel-like inflorescence bears small purple-pink flowers.

  Society garlic has verdant leaf clusters, pretty flowers, fleshy petals, and a long flowering period, making it a rare flower in summer; it is suitable as a mid-ground plant in flower borders, or as a ground cover planted at forest edges or in lawns. It is also a good cut flower. Its main propagation methods include seed propagation, scale propagation, bulb propagation, and bulbil propagation:

  1. Seed propagation

  Seed propagation is sexual reproduction, mainly used in breeding. Seeds are harvested in autumn and stored until sown in the following spring. They germinate about 20-30 days after sowing. During the seedling stage, appropriate shading is needed. By early autumn, the underground part has already formed small bulbs, and they can be dug out and replanted separately. Depending on the species, some seedling plants from seed bloom in 3 years, while others need many years of cultivation before blooming. Therefore, this method is not suitable for home use.

  2. Scale propagation

  That is, using scales for cuttings to produce daughter bulbils. First select high-quality society garlic with large bulbs, correct color, and intact, pest- and disease-free condition as seed material. First use a bamboo knife to cut off the base of the bulb so the scales separate, then plant them in a seedbed of sandy soil facing the sun between September and October. Open furrows 10 cm deep, with a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 35 cm, bury the scales in the furrows, cover with 4 cm of soil, and press lightly after burying. In the following spring, take out the scales and use them as propagation scales for replanting. When planting, the concave side of the scale can face downward, otherwise it is not easy for seedlings to emerge.

  3. Bulb propagation

  Also called division propagation. When harvesting society garlic in September-October, separate the small bulbs beside the mother bulb, collect and store them as propagation bulbs, mix them with moist sand for storage, and take them out for planting in mid-April of the following year. When planting, the depth is 10-15 cm, and they sprout and emerge in 20-25 days. Larger bulbs can bloom the same year, while smaller ones take 2-3 years of cultivation to bloom. There is also soilless seedling raising, that is, placing the removed small bulbs in a wooden box in a greenhouse, with a suitable temperature of 18°C-20°C; in this way, small lily seedlings can grow after 3-4 months and can be planted in March-April of the following year.

  4. Bulbil propagation

  Small bulbils grow in the leaf axils. After the flowers fade and before the bulbils fall off, collect the bulbils and plant them in the nursery field. After one year, they can form small bulbs and grow leaf buds, and after 2-3 years they can bloom. Seed propagation is also possible, but because the plants grown from seeds grow slowly, it is mostly not used unless for large-scale propagation. Propagation methods include seed sowing, dividing small bulbs, scale cuttings, and dividing bulbils, 4 methods in total, and any one can be chosen according to need.