How to Grow Water Chestnuts for High Yield? The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The water chestnut is also known as horse hoof, water chestnut, fu ci, wu yu, pu ji, di li, etc. It is a clump-forming aquatic herb of the genus Eleocharis in the Cyperaceae family, and its underground corms are used for food. The flesh is crisp, rich in starch, and can be used as a fruit or vegetable, or processed into canned goods, starch, or preserves, making it highly favored by consumers. Now let us take a look at the high-yield cultivation techniques for water chestnuts!

Origin and Distribution of Water Chestnuts

The water chestnut originated in India. There are about 150 species worldwide, widely distributed across the globe, with the majority found in tropical and subtropical regions. In China, records of cultivation date back to the Western Han Dynasty. Currently there are more than 20 species and some varieties, mainly distributed in low-lying areas of Guangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guizhou and other provinces, with some distribution in parts of Hebei as well. Baihu Town in Lujiang County, Anhui Province, abundantly produces high-quality water chestnuts and is China's largest “hometown of water chestnuts.” Qingshan Town in Lipu County, Guilin City, Guangxi, is a nationally recognized “hometown of horse hoof.” Lechang water chestnuts from the Shaoguan area of Guangdong are famous for their large size, thin skin, tender flesh, abundant moisture, sweet and grit-free taste, and crisp, delicious texture. In addition, Maoli Town in Shayang County, Jingmen City, Hubei Province, is also a water chestnut producing area, and its products have long been exported overseas and are widely renowned.

Growing Environment of Water Chestnuts

Water chestnuts prefer to grow in ponds or are cultivated in paddy fields, and propagation is carried out asexually using corms, also called fruit balls. They like warmth and moisture and are afraid of freezing, and they grow best in loamy soil with a soft plow layer and a firm subsoil. For cultivation, a plow layer of 20-25 cm is required, which is beneficial for the growth and development of the corms while preventing the corms from drilling too deep, keeping individual development uniform and consistent in size, and also facilitating digging and harvesting. If the plow layer is too sticky, it is not conducive to the expansion of the corms; if there is too much humus, the sugar content of the corms decreases and the sweetness is poorer. They are suitable for growing in shallow water, and in terms of nutritional requirements, they need less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus fertilizer. Throughout the entire growing period, sufficient sunlight is required.

Seedling Raising Techniques for Water Chestnuts

1. Selection of seed corms: Water chestnuts propagate through stolons. Before sowing, select corms one by one that have undamaged skin, thick and healthy terminal and lateral buds, dark brown skin, a single corm weight of over 15 grams, and the characteristics of the cultivated variety, to serve as seed corms. Before sowing, soak them in a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder for 18-24 hours to kill surface pathogens. Approximately 15-20 kg of seed corms are needed per mu of field.

2. Seedling raising time: The seedling raising time for water chestnuts depends on the transplanting period. For early-water water chestnuts, because the early-stage temperatures are low, seedling raising begins 40-45 days before transplanting (late March to early April). For late-water water chestnuts, because temperatures are higher during seedling raising, seedlings are raised 20-25 days before planting. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, seedlings are generally raised from Qingming to Guyu. Before raising seedlings, sprouting is first carried out indoors, and then seeding and temporary planting are carried out in paddy fields.

3. Sprouting of seed corms: The indoor sprouting method involves spreading a layer of rice straw about 10 cm thick on the ground, arranging the seed corms with their buds facing up on the straw, stacking 3-4 layers, then covering with more rice straw, and watering once in the morning and once in the evening each day. After 10-15 days, when the buds have grown to 3-4 cm, the seedlings can be transplanted to the seedling field for seeding.

4. Seedling field preparation: The seedling field should be chosen in a place with convenient irrigation and drainage and fertile, loose soil. Deeply plow, finely harrow, and level the seedling field, leaving furrow ditches around the perimeter and building good surrounding ridges. Because during this period the nutrition for water chestnut growth mainly comes from the corms, the seedling field generally does not need fertilization.

5. Seeding and seedling raising: Arrange the sprouted corms one by one into the seedling pond, pressing the corms into the mud 1-2 cm deep, with a spacing of 6×6 cm, requiring the buds to face upward and be at a uniform height, and maintaining a water layer of 1-2 cm in the field. After 15-20 days, when the seedlings are about 10 cm tall and have 5-6 leaf-like stems, temporary planting can be carried out.

6. Temporary planting of water chestnuts: Temporary planting of water chestnuts means separating the grown seedlings to expand their spacing, facilitating concentrated fertilization and management, and more importantly, meeting the need for planting water chestnuts after rapeseed or wheat in southern regions. The specific method of temporary planting is, 20-25 days after seeding, transplanting the corms with leaf-like stems of 10-15 cm into the water chestnut seedling field, planting the corms at a spacing of 30 cm×40 cm. This is beneficial for root development and also expands the nutritional area for the seedlings.

7. Seedling stage management: After transplanting the water chestnut seedlings, the seedling field is best kept with a shallow water layer of 2-3 cm, which can raise soil temperature and promote seedling growth. About 15 days after transplanting, apply 20 kg per mu of a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. Note that it should be broadcast, not concentrated near the roots, to avoid burning the seedling roots. After 30-40 days, when the seedlings are 35-40 cm tall and the leaf-like stems are over 0.5 cm thick, the seedlings can be lifted and planted in the main field.