How many jin can one mu of dandelion produce?
One mu of dandelion can grow 6-8 harvests a year, with each harvest yielding about 2000 jin. If grown as a fresh vegetable, one mu can produce 6000-8000 kg; if dried into medicinal material, it can produce 580-650 kg. After two years of continuous growth, the roots are dug up in late autumn and dried, yielding 200-250 kg. The longer the dandelion's growing life, the more developed its root system and the more luxuriant the above-ground plant growth, and the higher the yield. Therefore, perennial cultivation should be carried out to increase the yield.
Key Points of Dandelion Cultivation Techniques
1. Sowing
(1) Seeds: You can collect seeds yourself or buy them.
(2) Time: Sowing can be done at any time from spring to autumn, and in winter it can be sown in a greenhouse.
(3) Land preparation: It is best to plant on loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam soil. Apply 2000-3500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, mix in 15 kg of superphosphate, then plow the soil deeply 20-25 cm, level and harrow it fine, and make flat beds 1.2 m wide and 10 m long with small ridges 20 cm high.
(4) Method: Open shallow furrows in the bed, with a furrow spacing of 12 cm and a furrow width of 10 cm. Sow the seeds in the furrows, cover with soil 0.3-0.5 cm after sowing, then cover with straw to keep warm. Seedlings can emerge in about 6 days; remove the covering straw when the seedlings emerge.
2. Management
(1) Cultivation, weeding, thinning, and final thinning: The first cultivation and weeding can be done 10 days after emergence, and thereafter once every 10 days until the rows close, keeping the field free of weeds. Thin the seedlings 10 days after emergence with a plant spacing of 3-5 cm, and final thinning can be done after 20-30 days with a plant spacing of 8-10 cm.
(2) Watering: After emergence, control moisture appropriately so the seedlings grow vigorously and to prevent excessive growth and lodging; during the rapid leaf growth period, keep the field moist to promote vigorous leaf growth; before winter, water thoroughly once, then cover with horse manure or wheat straw, etc., to help it overwinter.
(3) Fertilizing: Apply fertilizer 1-2 times during the growing period. After winter begins, spread 2500 kg of organic fertilizer and 20 kg of superphosphate per mu on the bed surface. After greening up the following spring, apply 10-15 kg of urea and 8 kg of superphosphate per mu.
(4) Pests and diseases: Dandelion has very strong disease and pest resistance, so generally no pest and disease control is needed.