Can safflower seedlings be eaten? Benefits, effects, and key technical points for seedling-stage management
Safflower seedlings, a traditional Chinese medicine name. They are the tender leaf seedlings of the safflower plant in the Asteraceae family. They are widely cultivated in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, and Shandong, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, and other places.So can safflower seedlings be eaten? What benefits and effects do they have? What are the key technical points for safflower seedling-stage management? According to safflower grower Grandpa Wu, the edible parts of safflower are the tender stems and leaves, and there are many ways to eat them: they can be stir-fried, or used in soups or hot pot dishes. They have a refreshing texture and an aroma similar to garland chrysanthemum. For Emilia sonchifolia, the tender shoots are picked, blanched in boiling water, then stir-fried with minced garlic, or used in soup. The taste is smooth and delicate, fragrant and pleasant.
What benefits and effects do safflower seedlings have?
Safflower seedlings have the effects of reducing swelling and detoxifying, and strengthening the spleen and improving appetite.
Appendix: Key technical points for safflower seedling-stage management
Safflower is an economic crop used for oil, medicine, feed, natural pigments, and dyes. It has effects such as promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, and removing blood stasis and relieving pain. It is suitable for planting as a small spring crop in the Jinsha River basin and dry-hot valley areas below 1600 m altitude with little spring rain and no winter frost. The whole growth period is 152—191 days. It includes the seedling stage, rosette stage, elongation stage, branching stage, budding and flowering stage, and maturity stage.
In safflower cultivation and management, attention should be paid to the following points:
(1) Thinning and final thinning
When safflower seedlings grow 3 leaves, carry out thinning, pull out diseased, weak, overly large, or especially small seedlings, and keep medium vigorous seedlings, leaving 1 vigorous seedling about every 10 cm; for hole sowing, leave 4-5 plants per hole; when the seedlings are 10 cm tall, for hole sowing, leave 2-3 plants per hole, and for drilling, leave 1 plant every 20 cm. If missing plants are found, replant them promptly.
(2) Intertillage and weeding
Safflower is cold-tolerant at the seedling stage and grows slowly, and weeds tend to grow easily, so intertillage and weeding should be done in time. Generally, 1—2 shallow ploughings are carried out together with thinning and final thinning, to break up compaction, loosen the soil, and raise soil temperature. Along with intertillage, appropriate earthing up should be done to prevent lodging.
(3) Topdressing
When the seedlings are 30 cm tall and a large number of branches appear, heavy fertilization should be applied, generally 10—15 kg of urea per mu, and after application, earth up around the roots to a thickness of about 6 cm to prevent lodging.
(4) Irrigation
Safflower is at the seedling stage during a dry period, so it should be irrigated in time to keep the soil moist.
(5) Pest and disease control
At the safflower seedling stage, the main problem is damage by cutworms. The control method is to spray the leaves 2—3 times with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% phoxim, or spray 2-3 times with a 800-fold dilution of 90% trichlorfon.