A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods for Growing Pea Shoots
Pea shoots refer to the sprouts of the pea, a plant in the legume family, and belong to the category of sprout vegetables. Pea shoots have a very fresh, delicate flavor and are highly nutritious. They are rich in carotene and various amino acids, and the amino acid content in particular is far higher than that of other vegetables, making them very popular in China. So how should pea shoots be grown? Below, the editor brings you the methods for growing pea shoots. Let's take a look!
1. Material Preparation
Before growing pea shoots, you must first understand the growth habits of pea shoots. The suitable temperature for growing pea shoots is around 20°C, and indoor cultivation is the main method. Then prepare various production materials such as a germination rack and seedling trays. Keep the germination rack at about 5 layers, with the distance between each layer at about 35 cm for easy handling, and control the width according to the length of the seedling trays. The seedling trays should mainly be lightweight plastic to facilitate the growth of pea shoots. Finally, prepare the same number of tray liners according to the number of seedlings to be grown.
2. Seed Treatment
Next, select healthy seeds, mainly fresh seeds free of insects, to ensure seed quality and improve the germination rate. Then, before sowing, sun the seeds. After sunning, rinse the seeds about two times with clean water, then soak the seeds in water that is more than twice the volume of the seeds for about 20 hours. An appropriate amount of nutrient solution can be added to the water to improve the germination rate and the flavor of the pea shoots. It can also prevent the seeds from rotting and becoming moldy. After soaking, scoop out the seeds and drain the water, then carry out germination. Keep the germination temperature at around 20°C, and sow once the seeds show white sprouts.
3. Proper Sowing
Before sowing, spread a layer of liner paper on the bottom of the previously prepared plastic seedling tray, and the liner paper should have plenty of water. Then broadcast the treated seeds evenly over the seedling tray; generally, the sowing amount for about 3 trays is about 1 kg. After sowing, move the seedling trays into the germination rack, then do a good job of shading and strengthen moisture and heat retention to promote germination. At this time, the germination temperature should also be kept at around 20°C. During germination, spray the seedling trays with an appropriate amount of water every day, then switch the positions of the trays to keep temperature, humidity and light even. When the shoots grow to about 3 cm, move them to the cultivation rack.
4. Cultivation Management
Management during the growing process is very important. The most important part is managing light and water well. Light must not be too strong, because if it is too strong it will cause the seedlings to age. Therefore, keep the light weak and cover with shade netting as appropriate. Then spray water about 3 times a day to keep the shoots fresh and tender. When spraying, control the amount according to the moisture level of the substrate; it must not be too much. Then appropriately raise the air humidity; on rainy days, water less. Ventilate appropriately every day to avoid excessively high humidity, which can lead to disease.
The above is a brief introduction to the methods for growing pea shoots. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help you!