How to Grow Shanghai Bok Choy? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Precautions
Shanghai bok choy, also known as Shanghai cabbage, Suzhou bok choy, or qingjiang cai, is a variety of baby bok choy grown in East China. It has few leaves and many stalks, and its stalks resemble a gourd ladle, which is why it is also called piao'er bai. It is highly nutritious, providing the minerals and vitamins the human body needs, and can help improve blood vessel elasticity. So what precautions should be taken when planting Shanghai bok choy? Let's take a look.
1. Site Selection and Fertilization
When planting, it is recommended to choose a plot with loose, fertile soil that is sunny and well ventilated, preferably loam or sandy soil, with good drainage and ample sunlight. After selecting the site, deep plowing should be carried out before planting, the soil should be raked fine, and then base fertilizer should be applied to ensure that the Shanghai bok choy has sufficient nutrients for growth. Farmyard manure or organic fertilizer is recommended as the base fertilizer, but care should be taken to fully decompose it before use to avoid burning the roots.
2. Fertilizer and Water Management
After the Shanghai bok choy seedlings emerge, the soil should be kept moist. When temperatures are high, water once in the morning and once in the evening. It has a high water requirement during the growing period and is not cold-tolerant, so take care to water it more often, but be careful not to cause waterlogging in the soil. After rain, drainage measures should be taken to prevent waterlogging from rotting the roots or causing disease. Its growing period is relatively short, and if you want a higher yield, fertilization is essential. Nitrogen fertilizer should be the main type applied; the concentration should be kept low in the early stage and can be appropriately increased later. Generally, apply organic fertilizer once a week by spraying, and stop fertilizing 2 weeks before harvest.
3. Pest and Disease Control
In summer, high temperatures bring more pests and diseases, so take care to promptly remove old leaves and diseased leaves. When pests appear, they should be eliminated promptly, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can also be appropriately supplemented to help improve the plant's disease resistance. Reasonable crop rotation can reduce the harm from pests and diseases. For example, in spring and summer, plant melons and solanaceous crops, beans, and root vegetables, then plant baby bok choy, and afterward you can plant choy sum or cabbage, or you can intercrop with scallions, garlic, spinach, and so on.
4. Timely Harvesting
The harvest time for Shanghai bok choy must be well judged. The best harvest period is when the Shanghai bok choy has 10 to 15 true leaves. Harvesting too early or too late will affect the quality and yield of the Shanghai bok choy.
The above is an introduction to the precautions for planting Shanghai bok choy. We hope it can help you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.