When to Plant Autumn Spinach? Detailed Guide to Planting Time and Methods
Spinach is a very common vegetable in our daily lives, also known as Persian spinach, parrot spinach, etc. It is an annual herbaceous plant. Although it originated in Iran, it is now widely cultivated in China. When planting spinach, spring spinach and autumn spinach are generally the main types. So when should autumn spinach be planted? And how should it be planted? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look together!
1. Planting Time
Autumn spinach, as the name suggests, is spinach planted in autumn. Autumn spinach is generally sown in August, and after about 1-2 months, it can be harvested and marketed in September-October. This is because generally after the Start of Autumn each year, the temperature gradually decreases, and the duration of sunlight also gradually shortens. At this time, the natural environmental conditions are very favorable for the growth of spinach, especially for vegetative growth, as they can inhibit reproductive growth. Therefore, planting spinach at this time can increase yield, and the quality of the spinach will also be enhanced. Spring spinach is generally sown around March, as long as the temperature is maintained above 5 degrees.
2. Planting Methods
Sowing and Seedling Raising
Spinach is generally planted by broadcasting. For autumn spinach, 7 days before sowing, soak the spinach seeds in water for about 10 hours. Then remove the seeds and place them at a temperature of about 4 degrees for one day, then place the seeds at 22 degrees for germination. Then begin raising seedlings. Before raising seedlings, water the seedbed surface thoroughly, then lightly rake the surface soil, sow the seeds into the soil, and then cover the seedbed surface with a layer of plant ash. If the sunlight is still relatively strong, then build a small arch shed and shade net, keep the soil moist, and generally after about a week the seedlings will emerge uniformly.
Water and Fertilizer Management
After the autumn spinach seedlings grow true leaves, pay attention to splashing once with clear manure water. At the second true leaf stage, do a good job of thinning and weeding. When topdressing, pay attention to the fertilizer concentration; it should not be too strong in the early stage, and decomposed farmyard manure should be the main type. After entering the vigorous growth period, topdress about 3 times, mainly with urea. Before seedling emergence, if the soil moisture is good, then generally no watering is needed. Then after the second true leaf, watering should follow the principle of frequent but light watering to keep the soil moist. After 5 true leaves, the number and weight of leaves will increase, and at this time, water together with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer.
Timely Harvesting
There are not many restrictions on harvesting autumn spinach, and unlike spinach in the other three seasons, it does not have a fixed harvest period due to bolting. Therefore, after autumn spinach matures, we can reasonably regulate the harvest time according to changes in market demand. But from the perspective of quantity, it is best to harvest about two months after sowing. Under normal circumstances, the yield of autumn spinach is still very high, with a yield of about 3500 kg per mu, and it may be even higher.
The above is a brief introduction to the planting time and methods of autumn spinach. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!