Direct sowing method of chives

As a vegetable that can be grown either by direct seeding or by transplanting leek roots , leeks provide a flexible planting method. Whether you choose to sow directly or transplant leek roots, you need to pay attention to some key points to ensure healthy growth and good yields of leeks. Let’s learn a method of direct sowing of leeks.

1. Seed preparation

Leek seeds have a short shelf life, so it is best to use new seeds from the previous year's harvest. Before sowing, soak the seeds in room temperature water at 25°C for 72 hours, changing the water 1 to 2 times during this period to prevent the seeds from getting moldy or rotting during the soaking process.

2. Soil preparation

Since leeks have a weak germination ability, the soil needs to be carefully prepared before sowing. Chives have a large demand for nutrients, and insufficient soil fertility will cause the plant to grow slowly and the leaves to turn yellow. Therefore, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied during land preparation. For example, 5,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer , 10 kg of urea and 100 kg of superphosphate can be applied per mu. When preparing the land, you need to harrow it repeatedly to ensure that there are no bricks, stones or other debris in the soil, and break up large clods of soil until the soil becomes loose and fine. Subsequently, a flat bed with a width of about 1.2 meters is made in preparation for sowing.

3. Sowing method

Use the row sowing method, dig shallow furrows 1.5 to 2 cm deep for sowing, and keep the distance between furrows at about 10 cm. The sowing amount per mu is controlled at 4 to 5 kilograms. If the seed germination rate is low, the sowing amount can be appropriately increased. After sowing, the bed surface needs to be leveled and covered with seeds, and then gently pressed down to ensure uniform emergence.

4. Seedling management

Keep the soil moist until the seedlings emerge. Before the leek seedlings grow 2 to 3 true leaves, their roots are relatively fragile and the soil needs to be kept continuously moist, using the method of watering frequently but in small amounts each time. When the seedlings grow to 15 to 18 cm in height, their root system is already relatively developed. At this time, you can reduce the amount of water moderately to promote further development of the seedlings' roots. For the first crop of leeks, because of their soft texture and high fiber content, they should be harvested in time when they grow to about 30 cm to promote the growth of subsequent leeks and make them more lush.

In short, if you use the direct sowing method to grow leeks, you should pay more attention to the above steps. In addition, even if you use the transplanting method, you need to sow and raise seedlings in advance.