How to Fertilize Water Spinach? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Methods
The scientific name of water spinach is Ipomoea aquatica, and it is a specialty vegetable of China, where it is extremely popular. Its stems and leaves can be made into various dishes, and now the market demand for water spinach is growing, with its planting area also continuously expanding. When growing water spinach, fertilizing is essential, so how should we fertilize? Below, the editor brings you the fertilization methods for water spinach. Let's take a look!
1. Growth Habits
Water spinach has strong growth ability and can quickly adapt to various soils, but it is still best to plant it in fertile, loose soil with strong fertilizer retention. After planting, water spinach grows very quickly and has a high demand for nutrients, with a strong tolerance for fertilizer, so both yield and quality will be improved. However, for plots grown for seed, fertilizer application should be controlled, otherwise it is easy for water spinach to become leggy. The base fertilizer is mainly decomposed farmyard manure, with the amount controlled at around 700 kg per mu. A reasonable fertilization method can ensure healthy growth of water spinach and improve yield and quality.
2. Fertilizer Requirements
⟦NL>Water spinach can be harvested multiple times within a year, so in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer before planting, timely topdressing is also needed throughout the entire growth period to ensure sufficient nutrients for the growth of water spinach. During the seedling stage of water spinach, diluted manure water should be sprayed appropriately, with the amount well controlled to prevent fertilizer damage. Then, when the seedlings grow about 3 true leaves, apply compound fertilizer in time to promote seedling growth and enhance growth ability. Later, after each harvest, fertilizer needs to be applied once, and when topdressing, the fertilizer should be fully diluted, preferably applied together with watering. Ensure it is thorough and even to prevent fertilizer from burning the roots.
3. Timely Topdressing
When fertilizing in the early stage, attention should be paid to carrying it out together with cultivation and weeding, which can not only ensure sufficient nutrients but also increase soil temperature and fertilizer retention. During the growth period, water spinach has strong growth ability and high requirements for fertilizer and water. Therefore, when topdressing, attention should also be paid to appropriate watering. When the seedlings grow to 6-9 cm, the first fertilization can begin. Then apply fertilizer once every 1-2 weeks or so, and after the first harvest, apply nitrogen fertilizer to restore the growth vigor of water spinach as soon as possible. Then apply fertilizer once every 3 weeks to provide sufficient nutrients for subsequent new plants.
4. Precautions
Before fertilizing, we should clear the field weeds to prevent them from competing with water spinach for fertilizer. Also, in order to improve the growth ability of water spinach and prevent diseases and pests, field management should be strengthened when fertilizing. During the seedling stage and the middle and late growth stages of water spinach, preparations such as Zhuangjingling can be sprayed appropriately to thicken the stems of water spinach, improve its nutrient transport capacity, and strengthen its leaves. When fertilizing, apply as little chemical fertilizer as possible to prevent soil pollution and avoid affecting the growth of water spinach.
The above is a brief introduction to the fertilization methods for water spinach, which are actually just some precautions when fertilizing. When fertilizing, we should not only ensure sufficient nutrients for the growth of water spinach, but also prevent problems such as fertilizer damage caused by improper fertilization, which can affect the growth of water spinach. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.