Beginning of Spring Farming

At the Beginning of Spring, Northeast China still lies deep within winter. Frozen soil is generally 1–2 meters thick, and around Mohe in Heilongjiang it can exceed 2.5 meters. Open-field farming is almost entirely at a standstill. At this stage, the agricultural year is shaped by two words: “备” (preparation) and “防” (protection).
In 备耕 (*preparation for spring cultivation*), seed, fertilizer, agricultural film, pesticides, and other production inputs enter a period of concentrated purchasing and storage. Farmers and cooperatives check inventories and contact suppliers, making sure everything needed for spring work is in place before the thaw. Large tractors, seeders, rotary tillers, and other machinery have stood idle through the long winter and now require thorough servicing—changing engine oil, checking tire pressure, calibrating seeders, and testing hydraulic systems. In Heilongjiang’s state-farm system, machinery maintenance usually begins around the Beginning of Spring so field work can start as soon as the ground thaws in late March. Maize and soybean seed must also undergo germination testing, with a qualifying standard of at least 85%; seed that falls below this level must be replaced or supplemented promptly.
Crop residues require attention as well. Northeast China produces vast quantities of maize stalks, and the period around the Beginning of Spring is the final window for either returning them to the soil or removing them from the fields. Stalks intended for shredding and incorporation should be dealt with before thawing, while baled residues taken from the field may be used as livestock feed, biomass fuel, or papermaking material.
In pastoral areas of eastern Inner Mongolia, the cold remains severe. Livestock shelters still need reinforcing, bedding must be replenished, and cold drafts must be kept out. By this point in winter, feed reserves are steadily diminishing, so daily rations must be calculated carefully to ensure that weak animals, young stock, and pregnant livestock make it safely through the period known as “春乏” (*spring exhaustion, when winter feed reserves and animal condition are under strain*). Weather forecasts must also be watched closely for the threat of 白灾 (*“white disaster”*), when heavy snow blankets grazing land and prevents livestock from feeding.
Protected agriculture follows a different rhythm. In southern Liaoning and other areas, greenhouses enter a productive season. Tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, and other crops are fruiting, requiring careful temperature management, humidity control, and protection against gray mold. As daylight lengthens after the Beginning of Spring, insulation quilts are uncovered at appropriate times to extend the hours of light.

Northwest China is a region of sharp contrasts at the Beginning of Spring. In Gansu and Ningxia, preparations for spring cultivation have already begun; farther north in Xinjiang and across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, deep winter still holds.
For spring wheat, this is the crucial season of land preparation. Gansu, Ningxia, and western Inner Mongolia are major production areas, and sowing generally takes place from early to mid-March. Around the Beginning of Spring, farmers plow to a depth of 20–25 centimeters, apply generous basal fertilizer—farm manure together with compound fertilizer—level the fields, and make use of winter snowmelt or carry out early spring irrigation to establish adequate soil moisture before sowing.
The expression “春小麦播在冰上”—literally, *“spring wheat is sown on ice”*—is a vivid description of farming in the arid Northwest. Once only the top 2–3 centimeters of soil have thawed, farmers begin 顶凌播种 (*sowing while the deeper soil remains frozen*), making use of moisture locked in the frozen ground to support seedling emergence.
In the southern Tarim Basin and southern Gansu, winter wheat has already begun to 返青 (*return to green*). Fresh green leaves emerge among yellowed winter plants. Farmers walk the fields to assess overwinter survival rates—normally expected to exceed 95%—prepare to reseed places with missing plants or broken rows, and apply spring-recovery fertilizer according to crop condition.
North of the Tianshan Mountains and across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, meanwhile, the priority remains cold protection. Livestock shelters must be reinforced, winter forage allocated carefully, and fodder transported before snow closes the roads. In Xinjiang’s Altay region, people say “立春雪封山”—*“at the Beginning of Spring, snow still seals the mountains.”* Here, keeping transport routes open for pastoral communities is itself an essential part of agricultural work.
Orchards are nearing the end of winter pruning. Apples, pears, grapes, and other fruit trees must be pruned before sap begins to move—around late February in southern Xinjiang and sometimes into early March farther north. Dead, diseased, and crossing branches are removed, tree structure is adjusted, and pruning cuts are treated to prevent pathogens from entering.
In Ningxia and the Hexi Corridor of Gansu, solar greenhouses contain another season entirely. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other vegetables are being raised as seedlings or transplanted. In Dingxi, Gansu, seed potatoes are brought out of storage, cut into pieces, and sprouted in preparation for April planting.

For dryland farming in North China, the Beginning of Spring is a true “关键转折期” (*critical turning point*). The frozen earth has not yet fully released winter, but it has begun to loosen its grip. Agricultural work returns with the thaw.
The first important task is 顶凌耙地—a traditional practice of *harrowing while the upper soil has begun to thaw but the ground beneath remains frozen*. After the Beginning of Spring, the topsoil may thaw to a depth of 3–5 centimeters during the day and freeze again at night. This brief alternation creates the ideal window for shallow harrowing.
Using disc or spike-tooth harrows at a depth of 4–6 centimeters breaks the soil capillaries and can reduce spring soil-water evaporation by 40%–50%. Farmers compare the effect to “building an invisible reservoir.” Once this moment is missed and the soil fully thaws, much of the moisture has already escaped, and the effect of 保墒 (*soil-moisture conservation*) is greatly reduced.
The old farming proverb says:
“立春耙耱保墒，等于修了一座水库。”
*Harrow at the Beginning of Spring to conserve moisture, and it is like building a reservoir.*
At the same time, farmyard manure accumulated over winter—livestock manure, urine, and composted crop residues—is carried out to the field margins and piled into small heaps to continue fermenting until spring plowing. Chemical fertilizers such as urea, diammonium phosphate, and compound fertilizer are also purchased and stored, while fertilization plans are drawn up according to field yield targets and soil fertility.
Winter wheat on the North China Plain remains in dormancy, but the pace of warming after the Beginning of Spring already shapes what comes next. If temperatures rise gradually to an average of 0–3°C, wheat seedlings pass safely through winter and tiller vigorously after spring recovery. If the season turns unusually warm, with temperatures rising above 5°C, wheat may resume growth too early. Late February, however, can still bring strong cold air southward, leaving tender new growth vulnerable to frost injury.
Hence the saying:
“立春暖，倒春寒。”
*A warm Beginning of Spring may be followed by a late-spring cold spell.*
This 倒春寒 (*a sudden return of severe cold after spring warming*) is one of the season’s most important agricultural risks. Farmers therefore inspect soil moisture and crop condition regularly after the Beginning of Spring. Fields that have grown too vigorously may be rolled once or twice to restrain upper growth, strengthen lower growth, and reduce the risk of lodging later.
Before spring cultivation begins in earnest, farmers also turn to water infrastructure. Wells are inspected and dredged, irrigation channels repaired and sealed against seepage, and storage ponds cleared and expanded. Hebei and Shandong preserve another proverb:
“立春修渠，春灌不愁。”
*Repair the canals at the Beginning of Spring, and spring irrigation will bring no worry.*
Orchards, too, are at a threshold. Apples, pears, and peaches remain dormant, and pruning must be finished before the 伤流期 (*the period when sap begins flowing from fresh cuts*). Growers scrape away old loose bark and diseased tissue, burn the debris to destroy overwintering insect eggs and pathogen spores, and prepare lime-sulfur mixture at 3–5° Baumé for whole-orchard spraying before bud break.
Inside greenhouses and plastic houses, the season has already moved ahead. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other solanaceous vegetables begin seedling production, with seedbeds maintained at 25–28°C by day and 15–18°C by night. Spinach, rapeseed greens, lettuce, and other leafy vegetables transplanted under cover enter rapid growth and require stronger water and nutrient supply.

The agricultural proverb says:
“立春雨水到，早起晚睡觉。”
*When Beginning of Spring arrives, the rains follow; farmers rise early and sleep late.*
The line captures the rhythm of the region. Temperatures rise toward 5–10°C, rainfall becomes noticeably more frequent, and overwintering crops begin to awaken.
The first priority is 清沟理墒—*clearing field ditches and regulating soil moisture*. Spring in the middle and lower Yangtze is wet, and standing water, or waterlogging, is often the greatest threat to overwintering crops. Farmers therefore clear the three-part drainage system—the main ditch, central ditch, and perimeter ditch—keeping them connected and deep enough to remove water quickly from the fields. Traditional standards call for depths of at least 80, 60, and 40 centimeters respectively.
The goal is simple: after rain, no water should remain standing in the field; once the rain stops, the ditches should quickly drain dry.
Two agricultural sayings emphasize the point:
“立春修沟，粮棉不愁。”
*Clear the ditches at the Beginning of Spring, and grain and cotton will bring no worry.*
“麦田沟相通，下雨不挨冻。”
*When the ditches in the wheat fields connect, rain will not leave the crop suffering from cold and waterlogging.*
This is especially important in wheat and rapeseed fields following paddy rice, where groundwater lies close to the surface and every ditch must connect freely.
The Yangtze basin is China’s largest rapeseed-producing region, and around the Beginning of Spring the crop moves from the 莲座期 (*rosette stage*) into the 抽薹期 (*stem-elongation or bolting stage*). The main stem lengthens, flower buds begin to form, and farmers apply 薹肥 (*bolting fertilizer*), mainly quick-acting nitrogen—5–8 kilograms of urea per *mu*—together with 3–5 kilograms of potassium chloride per *mu*. The aim is to encourage more branches and stronger flower-bud development. If the weather becomes too warm and wet, however, rapeseed may bolt too rapidly and become excessively lush, increasing the risk of lodging later.
Winter wheat also begins to 返青 (*return to green*). Fresh leaves push out among yellowed winter growth, and farmers follow the principle of 看苗施肥—*“fertilize according to the actual condition of the crop.”* Strong fields with dark-green leaves and abundant tillers may require little or no additional fertilizer; weak plants with yellow leaves and too few tillers need spring-recovery fertilizer to support tillering and ear formation. Overly vigorous fields may be rolled or treated with growth regulators to restrain upper growth, strengthen the base, shorten lower internodes, and reduce lodging.
The warming season also awakens disease. Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and surrounding areas are among the spring starting points for wheat stripe rust. Spores travel swiftly on air currents, and a small infection can spread rapidly. Farmers therefore begin regular field inspections as soon as wheat resumes growth. A single infected leaf may be removed immediately or the affected area treated with fungicide to contain the disease. Sharp eyespot, aphids, and wheat mites must also be watched before they become widespread.
Greenhouse vegetables require equally precise management. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are in the transplanting stage and are often managed under 四段变温管理 (*four-stage variable-temperature management*): 25–28°C in the morning to promote photosynthesis, 20–22°C in the afternoon, 15–18°C during the first half of the night to aid transport of assimilates, and 10–12°C during the second half of the night to reduce respiration losses. A second thermal curtain or plastic film may be added for insulation, while nighttime soil temperature must remain above 12°C to prevent 寒根 (*cold-induced root injury*).
Outdoors, asparagus lettuce, celery, garlic, and other vegetables resume growth and require timely fertilization and irrigation. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, strawberries enter the harvest period of the second fruiting cycle and need careful water, fertilizer, and temperature management.
Tea gardens and orchards also begin their spring transition. Tea fields may receive 催芽肥 (*bud-promoting fertilizer*), mainly quick-acting nitrogen, to encourage earlier spring budding. Citrus, loquat, and peach orchards are pruned, dead and diseased branches removed, and pre-bud fertilizer applied. Loquat is already at the young-fruit stage and vulnerable to frost; fruit may be damaged below -3°C, so growers watch weather forecasts closely and use fruit bagging or smoke protection when necessary.

The agriculture of Southwest China rises and falls with the terrain. Around the Beginning of Spring, farming takes on a distinctly “立体” (*three-dimensional, vertically layered*) distribution—from winter wheat returning to green in the Sichuan Basin to early-rice seedling beds appearing in the warmer valleys of Yunnan and Guizhou.
In the low, warm river valleys of southern Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, average daily temperatures have already climbed above 10°C, and early-rice seedling production begins. Seedbeds are plowed to a depth of 15–20 centimeters, leveled, and supplied with well-decomposed organic manure and compound fertilizer. Seed is carefully selected, empty and shriveled grains removed, then sunned, soaked, disinfected, and germinated at 30–35°C until the first white tip appears. Only then is it sown. Early rice in Southwest China is generally planted 20–30 days earlier than in the middle and lower Yangtze.
One of the region’s most important tasks is monitoring wheat stripe rust. The Sichuan Basin is regarded as China’s principal “越冬基地” (*overwintering base*) and “春季流行策源地” (*spring epidemic source area*) for the disease. Mild winters and moderate humidity allow the pathogen to survive through the cold season. Once temperatures rise after the Beginning of Spring, spores multiply rapidly and can be carried northeastward by southwesterly airflows toward Hubei, Henan, Shandong, and even the North China wheat belt.
Farmers in Sichuan, Chongqing, and northern Guizhou therefore inspect wheat fields intensively. Diseased leaves are removed at once and infection centers sprayed with triazolone-type fungicides. Where outbreaks are already established, coordinated large-scale control is organized quickly. Agricultural authorities in Sichuan often issue monitoring alerts around this time and activate a “带药侦查” mechanism—*field scouting with treatment materials already at hand so infected points can be contained immediately*.
Winter wheat in the Sichuan Basin generally enters the regrowth-to-jointing stage after the Beginning of Spring. Jointing fertilizer is applied according to crop condition to support young-ear differentiation, while drainage ditches are cleared to prevent waterlogging and root rot. On dry slopes, soil moisture becomes the main concern, and where winter rainfall has been insufficient, spring irrigation must be prepared in advance.
The season is also a peak period for spring potato planting across Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. Seed potatoes are treated, cut, sprouted, planted, and covered with film. In Zhaotong, Yunnan, and Weining, Guizhou, people say:
“立春种洋芋，收成不用愁。”
*Plant potatoes at the Beginning of Spring, and there will be no need to worry about the harvest.*
Rapeseed in Sichuan and Guizhou enters the stem-elongation to early-flowering stage, and bolting fertilizer is applied to support branching and flower-bud development. Broad beans are in flower and require adequate moisture for pod formation.
In orchards, citrus in Sichuan and Chongqing begins spring pruning and fertilization. Loquat in Longquanyi and Mengzi is already at the young-fruit stage and must be protected from cold. When nighttime temperatures are forecast below 3°C, growers irrigate in advance or use smoke for frost protection; young loquat fruit may blacken and fall once temperatures drop below 0°C.
Preparations also begin for Chinese and Tibetan medicinal plants such as *Fritillaria cirrhosa*, *Panax notoginseng*, and *Paris polyphylla*. Fields are prepared, basal fertilizer applied, and shade structures erected ahead of sowing or transplanting.

South China is the earliest major region in the country to enter spring cultivation. By the Beginning of Spring, temperatures have generally stabilized above 10–15°C, and sowing and spring plowing spread rapidly across the landscape. Taiwan, shaped by both topography and latitude, shows a pronounced contrast between north and south.
(1) Mainland South China
Early-rice sowing and seedling raising dominate the season. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and southern Fujian are double-cropping rice regions, and large-scale seedling work begins around the Beginning of Spring.
Farmers watch for the traditional sowing window known as “冷尾暖头”—literally, *“the tail end of the cold and the beginning of warmth.”* This means choosing the first stable warming period immediately after a cold wave, once average daily temperatures remain above 12°C, and seizing clear weather to sow quickly.
Film-covered or dry-bed seedling techniques help retain warmth and moisture, with temperatures beneath the film kept at 32–35°C to prevent low-temperature seedling rot. Seedlings are generally kept for 25–30 days and transplanted at the “三叶一心” stage—*three fully formed leaves with one new central leaf emerging*. In southern Hainan, where heat is more abundant, some early-rice seedlings have already been transplanted into the fields by this time.
Spring maize and peanuts also enter the ground. Early-maturing maize varieties from the “Yuetian” and “Guidan” series are selected, and plastic film is laid after sowing to preserve warmth and moisture. Spring peanuts require deep tillage of more than 20 centimeters, sufficient basal fertilizer—calcium-magnesium phosphate together with compound fertilizer—and moist soil after sowing.
Commercial crops follow their own rhythms. In some tobacco-growing areas, seedbeds are carefully prepared, fertilized, sown, and covered with film. Across the sugarcane zones of Guangxi and Guangdong, spring cane is planted using mid-sections from the cane tops as double-bud seed pieces, soaked for 24 hours in 3%–5% limewater to prevent pineapple disease before planting, then covered with film to conserve moisture and increase soil temperature. Cassava stems are cut and stored, waiting for temperatures to rise steadily before planting.
Tropical fruit orchards are entering delicate stages of growth. Bananas are at a critical point of flower-bud differentiation and require stronger water and nutrient management, especially high-potassium compound fertilizer to support bunch development. Dead and diseased leaves are removed to improve air circulation and light penetration. Mangoes in Hainan and Guangxi enter the later stage of flower-bud differentiation and panicle emergence; nitrogen must be controlled to prevent excessive vegetative growth, while boron fertilizer is sprayed to encourage pollen germination.
Early lychee varieties such as “Sanyuehong” and “Baitangying” begin flowering, and growers watch the weather closely. Persistent rain can hinder pollination, making it necessary to shake accumulated water from the trees and encourage pollen dispersal; drought, on the other hand, requires irrigation to protect the blossoms.
Open-field vegetables such as choy sum, Chinese kale, lettuce, and spinach enter rapid growth, while diamondback moths, aphids, and downy mildew begin to increase. Aquaculture areas intensify pond inspections to guard against stress and disease caused by sharp temperature fluctuations. Tilapia, for example, becomes vulnerable to saprolegniasis during sudden cooling. Where possible, farmers build simple insulating shelters or increase water depth to stabilize warmer temperatures in the lower layers.
(2) Taiwan
Because the Tropic of Cancer crosses central Taiwan, the Beginning of Spring reveals a clear agricultural pattern of “南忙北缓”—*“busy in the south, slower in the north.”*
Rice: Central and southern Taiwan are warmer, and transplanting of the first rice crop has already begun. In Taitung, the appropriate transplanting period for common varieties generally falls around the Beginning of Spring. In central Taiwan, newly transplanted rice enters the establishment stage and must be protected from low-temperature damage; when nighttime temperatures fall below 15°C, seedling growth slows.
Northern Taiwan remains under the influence of the northeast monsoon and is still relatively cool. Paddies may remain fallow or have only recently been sown, with transplanting often delayed until late February or early March. Traditionally, early rice in northern Taiwan was soaked about one week before the Beginning of Spring, then germinated at 30–35°C until sprouts reached 0.5–1 centimeter before sowing.
Vegetables: Crops suitable for planting vary by region. Northern Taiwan can sow eggplant, tomato, Welsh onion, burdock, shallot, and related crops; central Taiwan may plant taro, watermelon, cucumber, muskmelon, hyacinth bean, water spinach, amaranth, angled luffa, yardlong bean, scallion, and others; southern Taiwan may plant taro, ginger, pickling melon, hyacinth bean, winged bean, lettuce, and yardlong bean. Tomato is planted widely across the island at this time. Crops transplanted around the Beginning of Spring can be harvested in May and June, neatly filling a seasonal gap in the market.
Fruit trees: Citrus fruit is in peak season. Kumquats are cultivated on about 285 hectares across Taiwan, with annual production exceeding 4,000 metric tons; Yilan alone accounts for more than 90% of total output and represents one of Taiwan’s most distinctive citrus industries.
The Beginning of Spring is also a key period for pruning mature trees and preparing fertilizer and crop-protection materials. Taiwanese growers preserve the working rhythm expressed in the saying:
“二月立春就雨水，药械肥料备齐全，成龄果树先修剪，幼树修剪三月完。”
*Around Beginning of Spring and Rain Water in February, prepare chemicals, equipment, and fertilizer in full; prune mature trees first, and finish the young trees by March.*
Tea: Across Taiwan’s tea regions, winter pruning is gradually completed from 大寒 (Dàhán, Major Cold) through 立春 (Lìchūn, Beginning of Spring) and around 雨水 (Yǔshuǐ, Rain Water). Pruning encourages new shoots and helps spring tea bud evenly. February is the sprouting period in low- and mid-elevation tea regions. Central and southern Taiwan remain in the dry season, so water supply must be watched carefully. Once temperatures rise and tea buds begin to emerge, spring fertilizer—mainly quick-acting nitrogen—can be applied to encourage shoot and leaf growth.
In Taiwan, 春茶 (*spring tea*) refers to tea produced from Beginning of Spring through 谷雨 (Gǔyǔ, Grain Rain). It accounts for around 30% of annual production and is the island’s most important tea season.
Fisheries: The seas around Taiwan are rich in seasonal catches at this time. Spanish mackerel can be found around Pengjia Islet and the Diaoyutai waters; mackerel are caught north of Su’ao and offshore from Kaohsiung; black pomfret and largehead hairtail appear off Keelung and Changhua; and 嘉鱲鱼 can be caught around Penghu and offshore from Kaohsiung. Mullet continue their southward migration toward waters off Hengchun to spawn, entering the final stage of the fishing season.
Farmer’s proverbs and folk customs: Taiwanese tradition preserves the saying:
“立春天氣晴，百物好收成。”
*If the weather is clear on the Beginning of Spring, all things will yield a good harvest.*
Conversely:
“立春落雨透清明。”
*If rain falls on the Beginning of Spring, it may continue all the way to Qingming.*
The Beginning of Spring is designated “农民节” (Farmers’ Day) in Taiwan. Folk custom also includes 摸春牛 (*“touching the spring ox”*), a ritual gesture expressing wishes for abundant grain harvests and flourishing livestock.
Fujian and Taiwan also share the proverb:
“立春赶春气。”
Here, 赶春气 conveys the idea of *seizing the breath and momentum of spring*—arranging the year’s agricultural work promptly as the new farming season begins.