How to Grow Water Bamboo? A Detailed Explanation of Key Scientific Cultivation Techniques

Water bamboo is a fairly common aquatic vegetable in our daily life, also known as gaosun or jiaogua, with very high edible value, and it is suitable for men, women, the young and the old alike. Water bamboo has strong adaptability and can generally be grown in ponds and shallow pools, so how exactly should water bamboo be grown? Let's find out together below!

Scientific Cultivation Techniques for Water Bamboo

1. Selection of the water bamboo field: The field should be chosen with good light, level land, deep soil, a water source, and strong water- and fertilizer-retention capacity. Paddy fields with cool water flowing through them, or plots near reservoirs that can use deep reservoir water for irrigation, are best.

2. Plowing and fertilizing: Plow the water bamboo field and apply 3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure or 2500 kg of concentrated human excrement and urine per mu. If the previous crop was rice, the amount of base fertilizer should also be increased, then harrow level, and then irrigate with 2-3 cm of water, so that the field is level, the mud is soft, and the fertilizer is sufficient.

3. Timely planting: From April to early May, when the water bamboo seedlings are about 20 cm tall and the paddy soil temperature is above 10°C, the seedlings can be transplanted and planted. If old water bamboo clumps are used for raising seedlings, at this time dig up the old clumps with roots, use a sharp knife along the direction in which the tillers grow, and split the clumps lengthwise according to 3-5 healthy tillers as 1 clump. The divided clumps are required to carry old stems, and when splitting, damage to tillers and new roots should be minimized as much as possible, and digging, dividing, and planting should be done immediately one after another. If the seedlings are too tall, the leaf tips can be cut off so that the seedling height remains at 25-30em, to prevent lodging after planting. The planting density is generally 70-80em between rows and 65 cm between clumps, with large and small rows, and the large rows serving as walkways. Plant about 1200 clumps per mu, ensuring 6000 basic tiller seedlings. The planting depth should be such that the old stem and stem tube carried are covered with soil, and planting on a sunny afternoon is best.

Variety Selection for Water Bamboo

Generally, fields with strong varietal characteristics, concentrated marketing periods, and having undergone several rounds of careful selection are required as seed sources, and their clumps should contain no off-type plants and no male plants. The specific procedure is:

1. After the water bamboo harvest, dig up clumps from the main field, select water bamboo roots carrying one old stem, cut off small mud-covered water bamboo root clumps with a sharp knife to use as seedlings, and prepare 1200-1300 clumps per mu of main field for later use.

2. Generally, the selected and divided clumps should not be piled for too long. It is best to divide and select seedlings from clumps in other main fields after the main field has been prepared, and transplant them in a timely manner.

Field Management

1. Weeding: After the water bamboo seedlings survive planting and until the rows close, it is best to combine topdressing with hoeing and weeding, so as to activate the soil, improve soil aeration and soil temperature, raise fertilizer use efficiency, and promote the water bamboo seedlings. Generally, weed 2-3 times.

2. Thinning seedlings and stripping yellow leaves: To give the water bamboo seedlings good ventilation and light penetration in the main field, promptly pull out overly dense weak tillers (small seedlings) within the clumps, and at the same time fill mud into the middle of the clumps so that the plants spread and grow outward. In the later stage of growth and development, promptly strip off the yellow and old leaves on the outer part of the plants.

3. Pest and disease control: In recent years, with the cultivation of water bamboo, the trend of pest and disease occurrence has become increasingly severe, with bacterial leaf blight, rust, and damage from leafhoppers and aphids occurring from time to time, and timely control should be carried out.

4. Timely harvest: Generally, water bamboo matures successively in May. When mature, the water bamboo stem becomes thicker and rounder, and the central leaves shorten. The harvest period lasts until October. It can be harvested once every 5-7 days. During harvest, attention should be paid to cleaning the field to prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases.

Growing Conditions for Water Bamboo

1. Soil: Water bamboo has low requirements for soil quality, but it is not suitable for continuous cropping. Clay and clay loam with deep cultivated layers and rich organic matter are best. Water bamboo plants are tall, have a long growth period, and have high fertilizer requirements, so they need fertile soil, more base fertilizer, and topdressing in split applications.

2. Moisture: Water bamboo cannot be without water throughout its entire growth period, but water bamboo is also an emergent crop, so the water layer must not be too deep. The water level should be adjusted according to the different growth stages of water bamboo.

3. Temperature: Water bamboo prefers warmth and is not tolerant of cold or high-temperature drought. It begins to sprout above 5°C. The suitable temperature is 10-20°C, and the suitable temperature during the tillering stage is 20-30°C. The suitable temperature during the tillering stage is 15-25°C.

4. Light: Water bamboo requires sufficient sunlight and air circulation. Because the plants are tall, the field easily becomes shaded, so reasonable close planting should be carried out, and in the later growth stage, yellow and old leaves should be frequently removed to increase ventilation and light penetration, which is beneficial for tiller production.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained a deeper understanding of the cultivation methods for water bamboo. Water bamboo is a very nutritious and green food. Eating it regularly can tonify deficiency and strengthen the body, beautify and aid weight loss, and promote urination and quench thirst. The eating methods for water bamboo are also quite diverse, and its taste is crisp, tender, and delicious. Those who like to eat it can grow some themselves!