Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of Scientific Toon Planting Techniques

Toon is called the “vegetable on the tree”, because toon is the tender sprout growing from the toon tree, and it is generally only eaten in spring. Because toon has high nutritional value and a fresh, tender and delicious taste, it is deeply loved by everyone, and demand on the market exceeds supply. So how should toon be planted to increase yield?

Scientific Toon Planting Techniques

1. Seed selection: choose new seeds from the current year; the seeds should be plump, fresh in color, red-yellow, with yellow-white seed kernels, a purity of more than 98%, and a germination rate of more than 40%.

2. Heat preservation and germination promotion: in order to achieve uniform emergence, germination promotion treatment is needed. Use warm water at 40°C, soak the seeds for about 5 minutes while stirring constantly, then place them in water at 20°C-30°C and soak for 24 hours. After the seeds have absorbed enough water, remove them, drain off excess water, place them on a clean reed mat, spread them 3 cm thick, then cover with a clean cloth, and place them in a 20°C-25°C environment to preserve moisture and promote germination. During germination promotion, turn the seeds 1-2 times each day, and rinse them 2-3 times with clean water at about 25°C, draining off excess water. When 30% of the seeds have sprouted, they can be sown.

3. Sow at the right time: choose flat terrain, sufficient light, well-drained sandy soil and fertile field plots as the seedling-raising land. Combine land preparation with fertilization, spread evenly, and plow thoroughly. In a 1 m wide bed, open furrows at a row spacing of 30 cm, with a furrow width of 5-6 cm and a furrow depth of 5 cm. Evenly sow the sprouted seeds and cover with 2 cm of soil.

4. Seedling management: seedlings emerge about 7 days after sowing. Before emergence, strictly control watering to prevent soil crusting from affecting emergence. When the young seedlings emerge and grow 4-6 true leaves, thin and finalize the seedlings. Water before finalizing the seedlings, and finalize them at a plant spacing of 20 cm. When the plant height is about 50 cm, carry out dwarfing treatment of the seedlings, using a 200-400 times dilution of 15% paclobutrazol, spraying once every 10-15 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays, which can control excessive growth, promote seedling dwarfing, and increase substance accumulation. Combining paclobutrazol treatment with pinching can increase the number of branches.

5. Land preparation and fertilization: for solar greenhouse cultivation of toon, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied, with no less than 5000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure per mu, no less than 100 kg of superphosphate, and 25 kg of urea. Spread evenly and plow deeply, then prepare beds and plant seedlings. Generally the bed width is 80-100 cm

6. Planting density: the planting density is preferably about 30,000 plants per mu, with a plant spacing of 15 cm and a row spacing of 15 cm.

Toon Dwarfing Cultivation Techniques

There are seed seedling raising, stem cutting, root cutting, and root sucker propagation.

1. Seed seedling raising. Toon seeds are small, with a hard seed coat and membranous long wings, so direct sowing does not easily absorb water and germination is difficult. To obtain uniform emergence, seed germination promotion treatment is needed before sowing. The methods are:

① Soaking seeds in warm water. In early March, soak the seeds in warm water at 30-40°C for one day and night. After the seeds have absorbed enough water, remove them and place them in a cattail bag, and place them at 20-25°C to promote germination. Water once each morning and evening, turning them evenly. When more than 50% of the seeds have broken white, they can be sown.

② Germination promotion. Mix the seeds with river sand at a ratio of 1:2, and sprinkle in an appropriate amount of clean water. The moisture level should be such that it forms a ball when held in the hand and breaks apart when the hand is released. Pile the sand-mixed seeds together in a steamed bun shape, water a little each day, and turn them evenly from time to time. When 70% of the seeds have broken white, they can be sown.

2. Stem cutting. From after leaf fall in autumn to April-May of the following year, choose 1-2 year old branches, cut them into 20 cm long cuttings, and insert them into the prepared seedling bed at a row and plant spacing of 25×15 cm, with 1/3 exposed above ground.

3. Root cutting propagation. When transplanting and planting, cut off the overly long main and lateral roots of the plant, cut them into 15-20 cm small sections, and in the prepared seedling bed, open furrows about 7 cm deep at a row spacing of 25 cm, place the roots horizontally in the furrows at a spacing of 10 cm, cover with soil and press firmly, and water. When the seedlings are 10 cm tall, remove tillers in time, and pay attention to intertillage and weeding.

4. Root sucker propagation. The root system of toon has many adventitious buds. Under natural conditions, some young saplings often sprout around the crown, which can be dug out and transplanted to cultivate new plants. However, natural suckering is limited, so artificial root cutting and tillering can be used for propagation. The methods are: after the soil thaws in early spring and before sprouting, dig a trench 50-60 cm from the outer edge of the crown, cut off the root tips, and fill the trench with soil. This can stimulate the root tips to form a large number of sucker seedlings and sprout new plants, which can be transplanted the following year.

Seedling Stage Management

1. After the seeds are sown and seedlings emerge, immediately remove the plastic film in the evening, water lightly once, and pay attention to keeping the bed surface moist.

2. Thin and even out the seedlings in time, remove the overly dense, merged, weak, and diseased seedlings, and keep a plant spacing of 3-5 cm. Along with pulling out field weeds, apply 10 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu as a topdressing, water thoroughly once, and loosen the soil shallowly, taking care not to damage the roots.

3. Thinning and transplanting. From late May to early June, when the seedlings have 4-6 true leaves and are 8-10 cm tall, in order to improve the light and soil nutrient conditions of the seedlings, thinning and transplanting are needed, with a spacing of 10-15 cm, following the principle of keeping the strong and removing the weak, and keeping the sturdy and removing the thin. Water the bed surface thoroughly one day before thinning so that the seedlings are pulled with as little root damage as possible. Transplant the removed strong seedlings in time to the prepared seedling bed at a row and plant spacing of 25×15 cm, and water to settle the roots to promote survival.

4. After transplanting and survival, and after cutting propagation has produced young plants, apply fertilizer and water in time, and carry out intertillage and weeding to promote seedling growth. Later, through pinching, spraying paclobutrazol, or fertilizer and water management and other measures, control plant height, adjust plant shape, increase nutrient reserves in the seedlings, and promote the formation of plump terminal buds.

Growth Habits of Toon

1. Temperature: toon is a temperate plant. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 20-25°C. The suitable temperature during the seedling growth period is 15°C-25°C during the day and 10-15°C at night. Normal growth in protected areas requires 20-24°C, and normal growth can occur at 8-20°C. Seedlings have strong tolerance to low temperatures, and robustly growing seedlings can still safely overwinter in the open field under short-term -20°C low temperatures in winter. After mid-October, when the temperature drops below 10°C, the seedlings begin to shed leaves, generally dormant for about 4 months, but in a solar greenhouse, the dormant period is only 30-60 days, though the difference among varieties is relatively large.

2. Light: toon likes light and is not tolerant of shade. Sufficient light can obtain a relatively high yield. However, the trunk of toon avoids direct strong light. If exposed to sunlight for a long time, it is prone to flattened trunk phenomenon and sunscald damage. Sufficient light from above is best.

3. Soil: toon likes deep, fertile calcareous soil. It has a relatively wide adaptability to soil pH and can grow in soil with a pH value of 5.5-8, but it grows best in neutral or weakly alkaline soil.

4. Moisture: toon likes moisture but avoids waterlogging, so the groundwater level of the cultivation plot should be 2.5 m or more, and accumulated water should be drained in time.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained a certain understanding of toon planting. Although toon is nutritious and delicious and has broad planting prospects, scientific planting methods must still be mastered, and blind planting is not advisable. When eating toon, be sure to blanch it in water, as this makes toon more tender.