How to Pinch the Tips and Prune the Branches of Yardlong Beans? All the Methods Are Here
Yardlong beans are a vegetable we often eat, rich in nutrients, simple to cook and good in taste, with strong adaptability, as they can be grown both in the open field and under protected cultivation. So, how do you pinch the tips and prune the branches of yardlong beans?
1. How to pinch the tips and prune the branches of yardlong beans?
When the main vine grows its first inflorescence, all the side branches below the inflorescence should be removed entirely, and the side branches above the inflorescence should have their growing tips pinched off, leaving 2 leaves at the base; when the main vine has climbed all over the trellis, pinch off the top to encourage the lower side branches to sprout flower buds.
2. Cultivation techniques for yardlong beans
1. Plot selection
It is best to choose fertile, loose loam or sandy loam, and rotate with legume crops for 2-3 years; heavy clay soil or low-lying plots with poor drainage should not be chosen.
2. Sowing at the right time
For spring-sown yardlong beans, sowing can be done after the Start of Spring (February, March), with a suitable temperature of 20-32°C; autumn-sown yardlong beans are generally sown in July (in fact, the sowing period is fairly long, and sowing can be done in June, July, or August)
3. Cultivation management
(1) Fertilization techniques
Apply heavy base fertilizer: the base fertilizer should mainly be well-rotted organic fertilizer, combined with a suitably proportioned compound fertilizer, such as Jinkai nitro compound fertilizer (15-15-15, 16-16-16), a compound fertilizer with relatively high phosphorus and potassium content; the generally recommended amount is 50-60kg per mu, and it should be deeply plowed into the soil;
Apply topdressing skillfully: yardlong beans need less fertilizer during the seedling stage, and heavy water and fertilizer easily cause excessive vegetative growth. To control excessive stem and leaf growth, promote reproductive growth, and prevent overly vigorous growth that leads to few flowers and fruits, the supply of fertilizer and water should be properly controlled. When the seedlings are weak, Jinkai liquid seedling-starting fertilizer can be applied with irrigation, at 5kg per mu. Once the pod-setting stage begins, the fertilizer demand of yardlong beans starts to increase, so after flowering, topdress with Jinkai nitro compound fertilizers in ratios such as 22-8-15 and 17-5-23, generally 15-20kg each time. Topdress once for every two harvests of pods, applying 10kg of Jinkai nitro compound fertilizers in ratios such as 22-8-15 and 17-5-23.
To prevent premature aging of the plants, during the peak growth period, apply 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate as a foliar fertilizer at the right time, and pay attention to fertilizer and water management to promote the sprouting of side branches and the formation of lateral flower buds, and to keep the original inflorescences on the main vine continuing to flower and set pods.
(2) Reasonable close planting
The sowing time should be determined according to different cultivation methods. For example, if using a large greenhouse + small arch shed + plastic film cultivation, sowing and seedling raising can be done in mid-to-late February; if conditions permit, nutrient pot seedling raising can be used. During the seedling stage, properly strengthen ventilation and reduce humidity to prevent the seedbed from being too humid, which can form leggy seedlings or cause damping-off disease. In early-to-mid March, transplant into the large greenhouse; the planting density is two rows per bed, with a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, 3 plants per hole; after transplanting, water with an appropriate amount of root-setting water, and seal the transplanting holes with soil in time. Alternatively, direct sow in the large greenhouse in early March, with a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, sowing 3-4 seeds per hole. For open-field cultivation in Henan Province, sowing in late March is generally suitable.
4. Field management
Increase the greenhouse temperature to promote early recovery of the seedlings. After transplanting for greenhouse cultivation, first keep the greenhouse closed for 5-6 days to maintain a relatively high greenhouse
temperature to promote early recovery of the seedlings. If a cold wave occurs, straw curtains must be added over the small arch shed to prevent frost damage; when the greenhouse temperature exceeds 30°C, ventilation and cooling should be carried out in time. In addition, trellises should be set up in time, and pruning should be done reasonably.
5. Pest and disease control
Rust symptoms: small yellow to rust-brown spots bulge on the back of the leaves, and later the lesions release reddish-brown powder.
Rust control methods: promptly remove diseased plant residues from the field to reduce the pathogen; establish a rotation system with non-cucurbit crops; spray in the early stage of disease onset, with a spray interval of 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive treatments: 62.25% Xiansheng: wettable powder 600 times dilution; 40% Fuxing: emulsifiable concentrate 6000 times dilution; 10% Shigao: water-dispersible granules 1000 times dilution; 15% triadimefon: wettable powder 1000 times dilution.
During the cultivation of yardlong beans, pinching the tips and pruning the branches is very necessary, as it can increase yield and improve quality.