When to Plant Crown Daisy? A Detailed Guide to the Specific Planting Process
Crown daisy is a common vegetable that has become popular to eat in recent years. Crown daisy is rich in nutrients and has effects such as harmonizing the spleen and stomach, promoting bowel movements, purifying the blood, nourishing the heart, clearing phlegm and moistening the lungs, aiding weight loss, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, aiding digestion, and promoting sleep. It is a semi-cold-hardy vegetable that likes a cool, humid climate, is not strict about light requirements, and is relatively tolerant of weak light. So what is the specific process for planting crown daisy? Roughly when should it be planted?
1. What is the specific process for planting crown daisy?
1. Site selection and land preparation
For crown daisy cultivation, sandy loam soil is suitable, and convenient irrigation conditions are required. After selecting the land, plow it and apply high-quality farmyard manure at more than 1000 kg per 0.1 hectare, plus 25 kg of diammonium phosphate as base fertilizer. Make flat beds 1.2-1.4 m wide and 10-20 m long, ready for sowing.
2. Sowing and seedling raising
Seed treatment: 3-4 days before sowing, soak the seeds in hot water at 50-55 for 15 minutes, then soak for 12-24 hours, and place them in a warm place at about 25°C to germinate. During germination, rinse them with clean water once a day. If they are new seeds, place them in advance at a low temperature of 0-5°C for about 7 days to break dormancy.
Sowing choice: For protected cultivation in spring, generally sow and raise seedlings in a hotbed in late March or April; for open-field cultivation in spring, sow and raise seedlings in a hotbed in mid-April; for direct sowing in open fields in spring, sow in early May under small arched tunnels or plastic film. For summer and autumn cultivation, sow in batches and stages in cold beds or open fields, with one sowing period every 7-10 days.
Sowing method: Depending on the cultivation method (direct sowing or seedling transplanting), broadcast sowing or drilling can be used. For broadcast sowing, the seeding rate is 60-70 kg per hectare; for drilling, sow at a row spacing of about 10 cm, with a seeding rate of 30-37.5 kg per hectare. For seedling bed sowing in early spring, cover with medicated soil to prevent damping-off disease. The seedling age should preferably be 20 days, and 3-4 true leaves is the suitable time for transplanting.
3. Transplanting and field management
From sowing to germination and emergence generally takes 5-7 days. During germination, pay attention to maintaining moisture and preventing the soil from drying out. When the seedlings are 2-3 cm tall and have 1-2 true leaves, thin them and pull weeds in the field so that the plant spacing remains 1-2 cm. Also carry out shallow intertillage. Wait until the seedlings reach the 3-4 true leaf stage to transplant, and the external or greenhouse temperature at transplanting must stably pass 10°C. The plant spacing for transplanting or final thinning should be 4-6 cm. Water once during the first thinning, and water again after final thinning, applying quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer with the water. After that, thinning and harvesting can be done in stages.
4. Harvesting
Crown daisy generally has a growth period of 40-50 days. When the plant height reaches about 20 cm and it has 12-13 true leaves, it can be harvested. To keep the product fresh and tender, harvesting should preferably be done in the morning. If harvesting is delayed and the temperature is high, the stems and leaves will age, quality will be poor, or the internodes will elongate and it will bolt and flower. If multiple harvests are desired, use a knife to cut it off 2-3 cm above the base of the main stem, and tie the cut tender stems and leaves into small 0.5 kg bundles for market. After cutting, water it, and it can be harvested again after one month.
2. Roughly when should crown daisy be planted?
Crown daisy likes cool conditions and is not suitable for growing in high-temperature environments, so the planting time should be chosen in spring and autumn. Winter temperatures are too low, which is not conducive to seed germination, but greenhouse cultivation methods can also be used. Generally, sowing is most suitable after the Start of Spring or around the Mid-Autumn Festival.