How to Grow Cowpeas in a Greenhouse? A Detailed Explanation of the Key Growing Techniques
When growing cowpeas in a greenhouse, you need to plant them at a reasonable density to prevent the leaves from shading each other. You can plant them on wide and narrow ridges of 70 cm and 50 cm, with a hill spacing of 27-30 cm and 2-3 plants per hill. In winter, you need to strengthen insulation measures, water moderately in summer, and ventilate properly after topdressing. Due to the greenhouse temperature, pest and disease control cannot be neglected.
Greenhouse Cowpea Growing Techniques
1. Reasonable planting density
Because overwintering cowpeas grow under low temperature and weak light, photosynthesis is hindered and the plant's own nutrition is limited, so they must not be planted too densely at transplanting time, to prevent the leaves from shading each other. Generally, plant on wide and narrow ridges of 70 cm and 50 cm, with a hill spacing of 27-30 cm and 2-3 plants per hill. Water after transplanting, and spray with Xinguo lipid film to effectively prevent above-ground moisture from evaporating and seedling moisture from transpiring, isolate pests and diseases, shorten the seedling recovery period, and make the plants grow vigorously. After hoeing, cover with plastic film.
2. Field management
In winter, strengthen insulation and frost protection measures, enhance the greenhouse's light transmission, and wipe the greenhouse film often to improve light transmission. In fertilizer and water management, water as little as possible, and spray Cuihuawang No. 3 at the appropriate time to inhibit excessive growth of the main shoot and promote flower bud differentiation. Before trellising pole cowpeas and before bush cowpeas flower, apply 15 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu as topdressing, and at the same time spray Caiguo Zhuangdiling to improve pollen quality, enhance the rate of pod set over successive cycles, and during the pod-setting period apply topdressing once every 10-15 days, each time with 15-20 kg of ammonium sulfate. After flowering, on sunny days, you can apply carbon dioxide gas fertilizer as topdressing, and ventilate appropriately 2 hours after application. In the late growth stage, the cowpea plants age and the root system deteriorates. To extend pod setting, you can spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate plus Xinguo lipid film at 800 times dilution for foliar fertilization.
3. Pest and disease control
When growing cowpeas in a greenhouse, because of the low-temperature and high-humidity environment and poor ventilation, rust, leaf mold, anthracnose, and leaf spot are very likely to occur, and the main pests are aphids and pod borers. Spray targeted pesticides plus Xinguo lipid film in a timely manner to improve efficacy and achieve the best control effect, reducing the number of pesticide sprays and pesticide residue levels.