A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Key Techniques for Crown Daisy

Crown daisy is a very nutritious leafy green vegetable, rich in nutrients. Eating it regularly has effects such as clearing phlegm and moistening the lungs, nourishing the heart, aiding weight loss, lowering blood lipids, purifying the blood, lowering blood pressure, aiding sleep, and helping digestion. Crown daisy can be planted not only in spring but also in autumn, so how should crown daisy be planted for the best results?

Planting Methods for Crown Daisy

1. Hoe the whole plot and clear weeds

Use a hoe to hoe the entire plot of land, removing weeds and stones. Turn the soil evenly and firmly, with no large clods, compaction, or weeds. Tidy the land up cleanly.

2. Level the plot and form it into strips and blocks

Use a hoe to draw out the ridges on the plot, use a rake to level and firm the plot, and spread chemical fertilizer on it. After spreading the fertilizer, do not sow immediately. If the soil is too dry, water it and wait two to three days before sowing.

3. Mix with soil, sow the seeds, and cover lightly with soil

Mix fine soil with crown daisy seeds evenly, and scatter them evenly over the surface. Use a rake to gently cover them along the bottom of the furrow. Note that crown daisy seeds should not be covered with too much soil, as this affects germination.

4. Pay attention to watering

If the weather is dry, be sure to water in time. During the seedling stage, you can water by spraying. In the middle and late stages of growth, you can water by flood irrigation. Do not water too frequently, to prevent the roots and stems from rotting from being soaked in water for long periods.

5. Pay attention to fertilizing

Crown daisy needs fertilizing in the middle stage of growth. To prevent fertilizer from burning the seedlings to death, you can dissolve an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer in water when watering, then spray and water with it.

6. Pay attention to weather changes

In areas north of the Qinhuai Line, crown daisy cannot overwinter outdoors, and freezing damage occurs below zero degrees. Moreover, in a low-temperature environment it grows slowly and its growth cycle becomes longer. So, if you are in a northern region, plant it indoors in a greenhouse, and take care to prevent freezing damage.

Planting Time for Crown Daisy

The entire crown daisy plant has a special fresh fragrance, which has a unique repellent effect on pests and diseases. Therefore, pesticides are rarely sprayed, making it an ideal pollution-free vegetable. It is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable, and a cool, mild environment with soil relative humidity kept at 70%-80% is favorable for its growth. Under suitable temperatures, it can be sown year-round. In recent years, protected cultivation in winter, spring, and autumn has become increasingly common. After sowing, it is generally harvested in 40-50 days; when temperatures are low, the growth period is extended to 60-70 days.

1. Planting time is generally best in spring and autumn. In the south, it can be cultivated in all three seasons: spring, autumn, and winter.

2. Sowing method can be direct sowing or raising seedlings and transplanting, mostly direct sowing. Scatter the seeds evenly on the growing soil. After sowing, the soil cover should preferably be about 1 cm. Water thoroughly, and keep warm and moist. Seedlings emerge in 4-5 days. When the seedlings grow to 2-3 true leaves, thinning is needed.

3. Sowing containers: for growing crown daisy on a balcony, rooftop, or courtyard, the cultivation containers you can choose include flower pots, wooden basins, professional cultivation boxes, foam plastic boxes, etc. The tillage layer depth should preferably be 20 cm.

Variety Selection

1. Choosing varieties

Crown daisy on the vegetable market usually has two types: pointed-leaf and round-leaf. Pointed-leaf crown daisy is also called small-leaf crown daisy or variegated-leaf crown daisy; its leaves are small with many notches, and it has a firm, chewy texture, but a strong fragrance. Round-leaf crown daisy is also called large-leaf crown daisy or broad-leaf crown daisy; its leaves are broad and large with shallow notches, and it has a soft, glutinous texture.

2. Looking at color

The best crown daisy color is tender, moist, and dark green. Do not choose crown daisy whose leaves have turned yellow, whose leaf tips have begun to wither or even turn black and shrivel; stems or cut ends turning brown also indicates it has been kept too long.

3. Looking at the stem

Choose crown daisy with short stems and moderate thickness. Generally, the shorter the stem, the fresher and more tender it is, while crown daisy with thick and hollow stems has mostly grown excessively, and its leaves are thick and hard. In addition, crown daisy tends to bolt in spring, so do not buy bolted ones; it is better to choose those without flower buds.

Harvesting

Crown daisy generally has a growth period of 40-50 days. When the plant height reaches about 20 cm and it has 12-13 true leaves, it can be harvested. To keep the product fresh and tender, harvesting should preferably be done in the morning. If harvesting is not timely and temperatures are high, the stems and leaves will age and quality will be poor, or the internodes will elongate and it will bolt and flower. If you want to harvest multiple times, you can use a knife to cut it off leaving 2-3 cm at the base of the main stem. Tie the cut tender stems and leaves into 0.5 kg small bundles for market. After cutting, water it, and it can be harvested again after one month.

From the above, I believe everyone now knows how to plant crown daisy! In fact, the planting method for crown daisy is relatively simple, and growing it at home is also very convenient. You can grow it on a balcony, rooftop, or in a courtyard. As long as you have a flower pot, a wooden basin, or a foam plastic box, you can easily grow nutritious and delicious crown daisy!