How much does a jin of spinach seeds cost? Per-mu seeding rate and sowing, harvesting and growing methods
Spinach, also known as Persian spinach, red-root spinach, spinach, spinach, parrot vegetable, red-root vegetable, flying dragon vegetable, etc., originated in Iran and is widely cultivated in China, being one of the most common vegetables. So how much does a jin of its seeds cost? How much is used per mu? When to sow and harvest? What are the growing methods? According to the nursery stock base in Shuyang, Jiangsu, the current price of spinach seeds is around 10 yuan/jin, and one mu of land needs about 3-3.5 jin of seeds.
When is spinach sown and harvested?
Spinach is divided according to planting time into four types: autumn spinach, overwintering spinach, spring spinach and summer spinach, and because of different varieties, the sensitivity to day length also differs; after the plant's stage development is complete, it can bolt and flower, completing its reproductive growth.
1. Autumn spinach
Autumn spinach is generally sown in August-September, and can be harvested in batches 30-50 days after sowing. Varieties should preferably be early-maturing types that are more heat-tolerant and fast-growing, such as Litou spinach, Huabo No. 1, Guangdong round leaf, Chunqiu large leaf, etc.
2. Overwintering spinach
Overwintering spinach is usually sown from mid-October to early November and harvested in batches around the Spring Festival. It is best to choose mid- and late-maturing varieties with strong winter hardiness, late bolting and strong cold resistance, such as round-leaf spinach, late round-leaf spinach, Huabo No. 1, Liaoning round-leaf spinach, etc.
3. Spring spinach
After the beginning of spring, when the temperature rises above 5°c, sowing can begin; March is the suitable sowing period, and harvesting takes place 30-50 days after sowing. Varieties should preferably be late-bolting types with thick, large leaves, such as late round-leaf spinach, Chunqiu large leaf, Shenyang round leaf, Liaoning round leaf, etc.
4. Summer spinach
Summer spinach is often sown in stages from May to July and harvested successively from late June to mid-September. It is best to choose Huabo No. 1, Chunqiu large leaf, Guangdong round leaf, etc., which are highly heat-tolerant, grow rapidly and do not bolt easily.
What are the spinach growing methods?
1. Land preparation and bed making
Choose loose, fertile, slightly acidic loam soil that retains water and nutrients well and has good drainage and irrigation conditions, with a pH of 5.5-7. When preparing the land, apply 4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 40 kg of superphosphate per mu, level and finely rake it. In winter and spring, high beds should be made; in summer and autumn, flat beds should be made, with a bed width of 1.2-1.5 m.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
Spinach plots generally use broadcast sowing. For summer and autumn sowing, one week before sowing, soak the seeds in water for 12 hours, then place them in a well or in a refrigerator or freezer at about 4°C for 24 hours, then germinate them at 20-25°C; sow after budding in 3-5 days. In winter and spring, dry seeds or wet seeds can be sown. Sow 3-3.5 kg per mu.
After watering the bed surface thoroughly with bottom water, sow, then lightly rake the surface soil with a tooth rake so that the seeds enter the soil, and cover the bed surface with a layer of plant ash.
After summer and autumn sowing, cover with rice straw or use a small arch shed covered with shade netting to prevent high temperatures and heavy rain from washing the soil. Keep the soil warm and moist regularly; seedlings can be fully established in 6-7 days. For winter sowing, when the temperature is rather low, cover the bed with plastic film or shade netting to keep it warm and promote emergence, and remove it after the seedlings emerge.
3. Field management
After autumn spinach produces true leaves, pour 1 application of clear manure water; after 2 true leaves, combine thinning and weeding, and topdress first lightly then heavily, applying more decomposed manure in the early stage; during the vigorous growth period, topdress 2-3 times, with 5-10 kg of urea per mu each time.
After sowing winter spinach, keep the soil moist. When there are 3-4 true leaves, control water appropriately to facilitate overwintering. When there are 2-3 true leaves, the seedling spacing should be 3-4 cm. Apply water and fertilizer according to seedling condition and weather, mainly decomposed human manure and urine. In frost and ice-snow weather, cover with plastic film and shade netting to keep warm, and a small arch shed can be used. After the beginning of spring, choose sunny days to topdress with diluted decomposed manure water to prevent early bolting.
In the early stage of spring spinach, cover with plastic film to keep warm; it can be laid directly on the bed surface, and after the seedlings emerge, remove the film or change to small arch shed covering. For the small arch shed, uncover by day and cover at night, uncover on clear days and cover on rainy days, so that the seedlings can see more light, be hardened more, and be thinned in time. Topdress with water and fertilizer; in the early stage, apply diluted decomposed human and livestock manure frequently and lightly; in the later stage, especially 15 days before harvest, topdress with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer.
After summer spinach emerges, shade netting should still be used, covering on clear days and uncovering on cloudy days, covering late and uncovering early, to facilitate cooling and moisture retention. During the seedling stage, watering should be done in the morning or evening with small amounts and frequent watering. After 2-3 true leaves, topdress twice with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. After each fertilization, water with clear water to promote growth.