Detailed Explanation of Key Field Management Techniques for Fiddlehead Fern
Fiddlehead fern, also known as fern vegetable, dragon-head vegetable, cat's claw, fist vegetable, mostly grows on sunny slopes in mountainous areas with moist, fertile soil and relatively deep soil layers. Its rhizome is thick and stout, and its leaf stalks are stiff and upright, often reaching about 60 cm in height. In spring, when its tender leaves have just emerged and are still curled and unexpanded, people pick them for eating.
Morphological Characteristics of Fiddlehead Fern
Fiddlehead fern is a perennial herb of the family Polypodiaceae. The underground rhizome is dark brown, long and extending horizontally, 0.6-0.8 cm in diameter, over 10 cm long, and up to 30 cm at maximum. The leaves grow from the underground stem and are tripinnate compound leaves, with a total length of over 100 cm, slightly triangular in shape. The first-order pinnae are opposite; the second-order pinnae are oblong-lanceolate and pinnately parted; the small pinnules are linear-oblong, hairless or with hairs only on the midrib on the underside, with fine veins pinnately branched. The leaf margins curl inward. The leaf stalks have fine down when tender, and after becoming herbaceous the stems become smooth and the down disappears. In early summer, reproductive organs, namely sori, form on the inside of the leaves, appearing reddish-brown. Fiddlehead fern generally reaches one meter in height, with long and creeping rhizomes bearing dark brown hairs. In early spring, new leaves emerge curled in a three-forked shape. The stalks and leaves are fresh and tender, covered with white down, and this is the collection period. The leaf stalks are 30-100 cm long, and the leaf blades are triangular, 60-150 cm long and 30-60 cm wide, bipinnate to tripinnate, with the lower pinnae opposite; brown sori are continuously borne along the leaf margins and have double indusia. Every 100 grams of fresh fiddlehead fern contains 0.43 grams of protein, 0.39 grams of fat, 3.6 grams of carbohydrates, 0.45 grams of organic acids, and also contains multiple vitamins. It can be used as a vegetable and can also be made into maltose, biscuits, lotus root starch substitutes and pharmaceutical additives. Regular consumption can treat hypertension, dizziness, uterine bleeding, arthritis and other conditions, and has a preventive effect on measles and influenza.
Field Management Techniques for Fiddlehead Fern
1) Fertilization: Open-field cultivation needs renewal once every 3-4 years, so before planting, sufficient farmyard manure and phosphate fertilizer should be applied, with application rates of 1000-1500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu and 10 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu. After the second year, every autumn chicken, pig, horse manure and the like should be applied as top dressing, and turned into the soil layer along with loosening. This not only increases soil fertility and loosens the soil, but can also play a role in heat preservation, cold protection and moisture retention. If manure sources are insufficient, fallen leaves can also be covered, which also has a certain effect.
2) Watering and drainage: During planting, the planting furrow should be irrigated thoroughly to ensure the survival rate of planting. Standing water in the field during the rainy season should be drained promptly to avoid waterlogging damage.
3) Mulching: After the rhizomes of fiddlehead fern are planted, to prevent drought and improve the survival rate, the ground should be covered with rice straw or fallen leaves at a thickness of 2-3 cm; where conditions permit, plastic film mulching can be tried. This not only preserves heat but also prevents weeds from growing densely.
4) Loosening soil and weeding: To prevent soil compaction and weed infestation, soil can be loosened and weeds removed 2-3 times during the growing season each year, trying to keep the field free of weeds.
5) Renewing rhizomes: The rhizomes of fiddlehead fern gradually age and die after growing for several years, so renewal is necessary. Generally, in fields 3-4 years old, in autumn a wheeled tractor with a plow blade is used to cut off part of the fern rhizomes, which can ensure harvest year after year without a large reduction in yield.
The task of field management after planting in the first year is to establish the seedlings, achieving uniform and strong seedlings; soil moisture must be maintained at 55% to 60%; after watering, leaves or rice straw can be covered, and dry grass plays a role in shading and moisture retention. During the growth and development period, more intertillage and weeding should be done, and a few well-growing weeds can be left to shade the fiddlehead fern; when it freezes in early winter, water thoroughly once, that is, irrigate with winter water; in the second year, the task is to cultivate the root system, making the roots thick and forming multiple buds; when the soil layer thaws to 6 cm, open furrows in the middle between rows, 8-10 cm deep, and apply 2000 kg of chicken manure per mu or mix in 1000 kg of plant ash, combine with covering soil, and water thoroughly once; other management is the same as the first year; in the third year, after the ground thaws, use a rake to loosen the surface soil, not too deep, generally about 3 cm, apply 2000 kg of chicken manure per mu on the surface, and water thoroughly once; other management is the same as the previous year; after the fourth year, management is the same as the third year.
6) Introducing seedlings: Generally, the beginning of the spring growing period is best, and during transport the air and soil should be kept moist.
Introducing rhizomes: Autumn is best, digging them after the aboveground stems and leaves wither and before the ground freezes; in spring, dig them before the seedlings emerge. The length of the rhizomes should carry more than two bud clusters, and the thickness should preferably be 7-10 mm; an upright bud should have roots of more than 10 mm. The upright buds must be well protected; this is the key to the success of introduction and cultivation.
7) Planting: Land preparation and fertilization: Carry out deep loosening in autumn; in spring, along with land preparation, apply 2000 kg of pure chicken manure per mu and then make beds. Aboveground beds, underground beds and flat beds are all acceptable; the bed surface width is 1-2 m, the height is 20 cm, and the length is 15-20 m, with a 50 cm working path left between beds.
Planting rhizomes: Open planting furrows 10 cm wide and 15 cm deep at a row spacing of 25 cm, arrange the root segments at a bud spacing of 5 cm, then cover with 10 cm of soil, water thoroughly, and after the water sinks cover with another 5 cm of soil and rake smooth.
Transplanting seedlings: When the seedlings are 10-12 cm tall, transplant them with the soil ball. When transplanting, dig planting holes about 20 cm in diameter and 15 cm deep, place them at a density of 10 plants per square meter, with plant and row spacing of 30 cm each, then fill 12 cm of soil around the seedlings, water thoroughly once immediately, and cover with soil after the water seeps down.