A Detailed Explanation of the Key Techniques for Soilless Vegetable Cultivation

The common methods of growing vegetables are open-field or greenhouse cultivation, both of which cannot do without soil. With the development of cultivation technology, soilless vegetable cultivation has also gradually become popular. It not only shortens the time to market and lowers cultivation costs, but can also achieve high yields. It is a cultivation model in which a one-time investment can bring long-term benefits. So what are the key techniques for soilless vegetable cultivation?

I. What are the key techniques for soilless vegetable cultivation?

1. Selection of the growing substrate

The substrate for soilless vegetable cultivation generally uses inorganic granular materials such as gravel and furnace slag. Furnace slag has the advantages of being light in weight, easy to transport and good at retaining water, while gravel has the advantages of being easy to clean and easy to disinfect, but compared with furnace slag it is heavier and slightly worse at retaining water. Everyone can decide which substrate to choose according to their own situation.

2. Growing bags

For soilless vegetable cultivation, growing bags are indispensable. After the substrate is filled into the growing bags, they are arranged neatly to form small cultivation pockets with a width of 90 to 120, with three rows of vegetables planted in each small pocket, that is, one row of vegetables planted in each bag, leaving a passage of a certain width to facilitate subsequent manual management work and the watering of nutrient solution.

3. Solution preparation

In order to make full use of the limited area and equipment, multiple vegetables can be interplanted and intercropped, which can improve the cultivation utilization rate. During this period, the nutrient solution must be properly formulated to supply the growth and development of different vegetables.

4. Irrigation management

After soilless planting, vegetables do not need fertilizer added to the substrate and can be irrigated directly with the prepared nutrient solution. Specifically, the timing and amount of nutrient solution irrigation should be chosen according to the size of the vegetable plants and the growing season. In the early stage of cultivation, the irrigation amount should be determined according to the growth vigor of the vegetable plants and the temperature. If the temperature is high and the plants grow quickly, the demand for nutrient solution will also increase. Irrigate two to three times a day, and it is better to irrigate with a spray bottle used for watering flowers. During this period, keep the substrate moist, and do not irrigate excessively, otherwise it will backfire and cause root hypoxia, damaging the vegetable roots.

II. How can you tell whether the roots of vegetables grown soillessly are growing normally?

In soilless vegetable cultivation, if the roots are very white, elastic, and show no discoloration or breakage, it means they are growing healthily. If the roots grow healthily, the vegetables can smoothly absorb water, fertilizer and other nutrients, and then grow smoothly. If the roots do not grow normally and show phenomena such as blackening, yellowing or rotting, then the stems and leaves above ground, as well as the flowers and fruits, will not grow well either.

Compared with traditional soil cultivation methods, soilless cultivation can reduce various “risks” from the natural world. For example, soil-cultivated vegetables have to face high temperatures and flood disasters in the natural world, and the yield and quality of the vegetables will be affected quite seriously.