Can leek roots be transplanted in winter (how long does it take for leek roots to be transplanted)

Chives are native to my country. They are rich in nutrients, spicy and delicious, and are both cold-resistant and heat-resistant. They are one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in my country.

The life span of leek plants is as long as ten years, and it is truly a "lazy vegetable". However, in the process of growing leeks, we will find that after 3 or 4 years, the growth of leeks will become worse and worse, and the yield and quality will become lower and lower.

This is because the root system of the leek has aged, and it needs to be re-rooted and "divided and transplanted" to make the leek regain new growth vitality, which is also the key to the high yield of leek.

Leek is a plant that turns its roots upwards. New roots will continue to grow from the base of the stem, and the old roots at the bottom will continue to age. Therefore, leeks will experience the phenomenon of "root jumping" during their growth, which requires us to cultivate the soil every year.

When the growth rate of the new roots of leeks slows down significantly and the old roots continue to rot, it means that the root system of the leek has aged and the leek will grow worse and worse.

There are two common ways to plant chives. The first is to sow and raise seedlings yourself, and the second is to dig up the chive roots for transplanting. There are three situations in which we need to use chive roots for transplanting:

1. It takes a lot of time to sow and raise leeks. If we want to save trouble, we can directly use "leek roots" to plant leeks. After transplanting, the leek roots grow very fast, so we can eat leeks faster.

2. Generally speaking, the yield of leeks grown through direct seeding is good in the first three years, but the yield will not be good in the fourth year. At this time, we need to dig up the roots for transplanting.

3. If you want to plant chives in a flowerpot on the balcony, it is not recommended to sow seeds. We can use chive roots for transplanting, so that we can quickly eat plump and tender chives.

When is the best time to transplant leek roots?

The underground roots of leeks are relatively cold-resistant and can be transplanted all year round as long as the soil is not frozen. March to October each year is a suitable transplanting period.

As the saying goes, "early spring is the best time for leeks, late autumn is the best time for cabbages." The quality of leeks is best in early spring, followed by late autumn, and the worst in summer.

Therefore, it is best to transplant the leek roots in mid-September to mid-October in autumn, so that they can take root in winter and sprout in spring, so that we don't miss the first crop of leeks.

How to transplant leek roots

Before transplanting leeks, we must choose suitable soil, preferably soil with a deep soil layer, high organic matter content, and convenient drainage and irrigation.

Leeks should not be planted in consecutive crops, as this will aggravate leek maggots and soil-borne diseases. Leeks should not be planted in any land where garlic, scallions, onions, shallots, or leeks have been planted previously.

It is good to choose a good plot of land. We combine land preparation with applying 3000 kg of fully decomposed farmyard manure and 40 kg of triple compound fertilizer as base fertilizer per mu, so that the leek will not age prematurely.

In order to facilitate transplanting, we can water the leek field once 3 days before transplanting, then dig up the seeds with the roots, and clean the roots properly to facilitate division. We can directly remove some seedlings that grow too weakly.

After selecting the chive seedlings, they need to be pruned, mainly the stems, leaves and roots. In order to reduce water evaporation and nutrient consumption, we can trim the stems and leave 3 cm, which can increase the survival rate.

In addition, we also need to cut off the ends of the leek's fibrous roots. This can promote the growth of new roots faster after the leek roots are transplanted, and can improve the growth of the leek.

Special attention:

If the leek roots are transplanted more than 2 days after pruning, we can soak the leek roots in water for 5 hours before planting, which is conducive to germination.

Transplanted leek roots often carry leek maggots, so before transplanting we can dip the roots in 1000 times diluted 50% cypermethrin emulsifiable concentrate to effectively prevent and control leek maggots.

If there is wood ash, we can sprinkle it in the transplanting trench. Wood ash can not only prevent and control leek maggots, but also add nutrients to leeks, which is beneficial to the healthy growth of leeks.

When transplanting, we can dig a 15 cm planting ditch with a row spacing of 30 cm and place a leek root every 2 cm.

When cultivating the soil, it is best not to bury the leaf sheaths. Water the plants thoroughly in time after planting, and water them again 5 to 7 days after planting.

Leeks like fertilizer, and sufficient soil nutrients are conducive to high yields. When the leek seedlings grow to 10CM high, we can water them with decomposed thin manure or apply 10 kg of urea per mu to promote growth. After each harvest, topdressing should be carried out once, which will help increase the number of harvests.

Every year before the soil freezes, dig trenches and apply fertilizer again. We can apply decomposed sheep manure or bean cake (do not use chicken manure). These two types of farm manure not only have high organic matter content, but also are not easy to breed leek maggots, which is very beneficial to high leek yields.

Kind tips:

We can sprinkle a layer of wood ash after harvesting the leek, which can make the wound heal quickly, prevent and control diseases and pests, and provide nutrients for the growth of leek.

In addition, after the leeks are harvested, we can cover them with a 2 cm thick layer of sand every year (omitting the need to cultivate the soil). This way, we can harvest continuously for 8 or 9 years while maintaining high yields.