What are the growing environment requirements for thistle?

The scientific name of thistle is small thistle grass (Cirsium setosum), and it is a wild vegetable with a very good taste, growing prostrately, with a growth height of about 30 cm. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, the stem is diamond-shaped, and the young stems are densely covered with white fuzz. It grows everywhere except for Tibet, Yunnan, and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. So its adaptability is extremely strong. Now let us take a specific look at what kind of environment it grows in.

1. Environment

It grows in plains, valleys, hills, mountains, field edges, roadsides, wasteland, and cultivated fields, and it is distributed in many countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Europe, Russia, and it even grows in Western Siberia.

2. Temperature

The most suitable temperature for growth is around 15 degrees, not too low and not too high; the lowest temperature should not be below 5 degrees, and the highest temperature should not exceed 30 degrees. Above 25 degrees, growth slows down. In warm regions it can sprout and grow early; for example, in the Shanghai region, seedlings emerge in February, grow rapidly in March, bloom in May, and then the aboveground part dies, but by August it grows again. It can grow for two seasons a year.

3. Light

Thistle is not strict about light requirements; mainly during the flowering and fruiting period it needs sufficient light to promote flower bud differentiation, maintain growth, ensure seed set, and benefit reproduction. It is relatively shade-tolerant in growth and can also grow under weak light, but with sunlight it will grow faster; however, do not expose it to direct strong light, as the temperature will rise and affect growth.

4. Humidity

Common thistle grows in ordinary soil, and the general soil humidity is not very high, about 40% to 50%. During the flowering period it needs a dry soil environment; at other times the soil humidity should be much higher, and after artificial cultivation it can maintain 65% humidity. Do not let water accumulate, and drain after rain.

5. Soil

Planting on sloped land is better, as water does not accumulate and the moisture level is not very high. Ordinary fields are also acceptable, but it is best not to plant in fields laid out like rice paddies, because such fields are surrounded by ditches that transport water, and their position is also very low, making them prone to flooding in summer. Slightly dry cornfields are very suitable for thistle growth.

Thistle is a delicious wild vegetable with dietary therapeutic effects. When artificially cultivating thistle, you must understand its wild environment, observe its growth habits more, and provide a better growing environment for planting based on these, so that it can yield abundantly and produce high yields.