How to grow water spinach from seed? Latest technique and method tutorial

Water spinach is a common vegetable in our daily lives. It grows best in warm, humid environments and is not cold-tolerant; frost will cause its stems and leaves to wither and die, so it is relatively rare in the north. Raising water spinach seedlings affects its yield and quality. Below, let's take a look at water spinach seedling techniques with the editor.

1. Seed selection

Water spinach can be propagated by seed and by cuttings, but in production many growers use cutting propagation; generally, the seed propagation method is more commonly used. For seed propagation, the first step is seed selection. Choose seeds that are plump, bright in color, disease-free, and free of borers, as this ensures the germination rate. Seeds should not be stored for too long, and the storage method must be appropriate.

2. Seed soaking and germination

Water spinach seeds have a relatively thick seed coat. If sown directly, germination may be slow because the temperature is too low; if long periods of rainy weather occur after sowing, the seeds may even rot, so germination should be promoted before sowing. The seeds can be soaked in warm water at about 30 degrees for one day. After they have absorbed enough water, remove them. Wrap them in a wet cloth and place them in a germination box to sprout, keeping a constant temperature of about 30 degrees. When more than half of the seeds show white sprouts, they can be sown.

3. Sowing and seedling raising

There are many ways to sow and raise water spinach seedlings. You can use nutritional pot seedling raising, or raise seedlings in trays filled with substrate. In production, nutritional pot seedling raising is more labor-intensive and is used less often. For tray seedling raising with substrate, you can choose 72-cell or 128-cell plug trays. For the substrate, you can choose lightweight substrates such as peat, vermiculite, or perlite, which have the advantages of low specific gravity and good water retention and air permeability. Mix them with organic fertilizer at a ratio of 2:1, then disinfect the substrate and plug trays, and sowing can begin. To sow, fill the plug trays with substrate, water thoroughly, place 2-3 seeds in each cell, cover with a layer of film to keep warm and moist, and remove the film after the seedlings emerge.

4. Seedbed management

First, temperature regulation should be done well. Keep it at about 25 degrees during the day and above 10 degrees at night. During the seedling stage, the substrate must remain moist. When the seedlings grow to more than 5 cm, apply a foliar fertilizer once, using a solution of 0.2% urea and monopotassium phosphate, which can promote rapid seedling growth. When the seedlings grow to about 10-15 cm, they can be transplanted.

The above is an introduction to water spinach seedling techniques. We hope it helps you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.