A Detailed Guide to Tape Grass Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Tape grass, also known as flat grass, is a perennial stemless submerged herb that grows in streams, rivers and other places, combining ornamental, economic and medicinal uses in one, and generally those engaged in fisheries will cultivate it, so what are the tape grass planting techniques?
1. Site selection and land preparation
Tape grass is suitable for planting under forest with 50% shade or in open ground with a shed or where crops are interplanted. After selecting the site, deep plow the soil, till it fine and rake it level, then one week before sowing first disinfect the soil with Bordeaux mixture or quicklime, then make beds 1.2 m wide and 10-15 cm high, with the length depending on the terrain, level the bed surface, and apply 1000-1500 kg per mu of a mixture of turf mud, human and livestock manure and urine, and phosphate fertilizer as base fertilizer, mix thoroughly with the soil and wait to sow.
2. Propagation
(1) Seed propagation: For tape grass, in summer and autumn when the fruit turns dark brown, select the fruit clusters in the middle part of the plant for seed collection, dry them with the stalk attached, remove the sepals and fruit skin to obtain pure seeds, put them in a cloth bag and hang them in a cool, dry place for storage. As for sowing time, in Guangxi, the northern Guangxi region is suitable for mid-March, while other regions can sow in January-February. On the prepared plot, mix the seeds with fine soil (at 1:10) and broadcast, then after sowing cover thinly with a layer of turf mud and cover with grass, water to keep moist to help the seeds germinate. At normal temperatures above 18°C, they will germinate 10-15 days after sowing. After the seedlings emerge, the covering can be removed.
(2) Cutting propagation: Select the stem tips that have not yet flowered, with 2-3 nodes and about 10-15 cm long, as cuttings. In March-April or July-August, insert them diagonally at a spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm. Generally they will root in about a week, with a survival rate of 80%-90%.
3. Transplanting and field setting
Tape grass seedlings grow slowly, and from sowing to transplanting takes nearly 100 days. When the seedlings have two pairs of true leaves and are 7-10 cm tall, transplanting is best. Cuttings root quickly and grow well, and can be transplanted about 50 days after insertion. Planting density is 25 cm × 30 cm or 26 cm × 33 cm. Apply 2500 kg of base fertilizer per mu at the planting site, and a mixed material of turf mud, human and livestock manure and urine, and calcium magnesium phosphate is best.
4. Field management
(1) Thinning and replanting: Generally 1-2 weeks after transplanting, when the seedlings resume growth, check the plants and promptly replant missing seedlings to ensure a full stand. Tape grass needs a lot of water throughout its growth process, so it should be watered frequently afterward to promote growth.
(2) Cultivation and weeding: Before the plants close the rows, cultivation and weeding should be done 1-2 times; after the rows close, only pull weeds, and afterward, if there are not many weeds, they can be left alone.
(3) Fertilization: Tape grass goes through more than 3 months from transplanting to harvest, and topdressing can be done in stages 4-5 times. In the early growth stage, apply 500-800 kg per mu of dilute manure and urine water; in the later stage, apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer or urea.
(4) Pest and disease control: During the growth period of tape grass, diseases such as blight and nematode disease, and leaf blight, may appear. Generally, for blight, spray with 600 times Tuzet or 50% Thiophanate 1000 times solution, for 2-3 consecutive treatments.