When to sow water spinach, and can it be grown on a balcony?

Water spinach, also called water spinach (weng cai), is called kong xin cai in Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan, tong cai weng and weng cai in Fujian, teng teng cai in Jiangsu and Sichuan, and tong cai in Guangdong. Besides being eaten as a vegetable, it can also be used medicinally. So, when is water spinach sown? Can it be grown on a balcony?

1. When is water spinach sown?

Water spinach is generally sown successively from around mid-April and can continue right through to August. If protective facilities are used, the sowing period can be brought forward.

2. Can water spinach be grown on a balcony?

Water spinach can be grown on a balcony. The specific method is as follows:

1. Sowing: broadcast directly or sow in holes. Scatter the soaked seeds directly on the soil surface and cover with a thin layer of soil. Or dig a few holes 2-3 cm deep and plant the seeds in them. Then water.

2. Germination: the seeds will germinate after 4 days. Apply fertilizer promptly after germination by scattering a layer of organic fertilizer on the soil surface to promote growth. Be careful not to sprinkle it on the tender shoots when fertilizing.

3. Planting out: when the plants grow to about 12 cm, begin thinning and planting out; the weak seedlings can be pulled out and used. The strong seedlings can be planted directly into a chosen pot. In fact, for home vegetable growing they can simply be left in the original pot, no repotting needed.

4. Management: it likes moisture and is not afraid of waterlogging, making it extremely suitable for water culture; drought will affect the taste. In principle, keep the soil moist to encourage it to sprout more adventitious roots. Potted plants need watering every day; for water culture, after planting out the water depth should be about 2-3 cm, and as growth progresses and temperatures rise the water depth should gradually be increased to about 1O cm; when temperatures are low the water depth must be reduced. If conditions are limited, it can also be grown directly in water with an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer added, and it will still grow well. It likes fertilizer and is also fairly tolerant of it, so it is best to apply plenty of base fertilizer. During the growing period it needs a large amount of fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and the concentration of fertilizer applied should increase as growth becomes more vigorous. Generally, apply decomposed organic fertilizer once about every lO days, or top-dress once 2-3 days after each harvest.

5. Harvesting: it can generally be harvested when the shoots are about 25-35 cm tall; when picking, leave 2-3 nodes at the base and pinch off the tender shoots by hand.