How to Grow Water Dropwort? A Full Breakdown of the Latest Planting Methods

Water dropwort, commonly shortened to water celery, is a perennial herbaceous plant. Many people think water dropwort is just wild celery, but that is not actually the case; apart from a similar appearance, they are not the same plant. Water dropwort is a vegetable used both as medicine and as food, and its flavor is very fresh and delicious, making it increasingly popular in the market. So how is water dropwort grown? Below, let us learn the planting methods for water dropwort together.

1. Field Selection and Preparation

Water dropwort is characterized by a preference for moisture and fertility, and tolerance of waterlogging and cold. Wild water dropwort generally grows in low, wet land, shallow marshes and similar places. So for field cultivation, we need to choose a place with convenient irrigation, and it is best if the field has previously been planted with rice, as the soil fertility will then be relatively sufficient. We usually choose to prepare the land around May, and when preparing the land, we apply fertilizer at the same time. The base fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure and rotted stable manure. There should be a certain area of shade near the planting site, or a shade shed should be built artificially. Finally, plow the field deeply, make the field into beds 1.5 m wide with a 1 m path between them, and rake the soil surface level before waiting to sow.

2. Sowing Methods

For water dropwort seeds, we should choose heat-tolerant Changshu varieties. The sowing methods for water dropwort are usually the seed soaking and germination method and the dry seed direct sowing method. For dry sowing, before sowing we only need to water the soil thoroughly, then scatter a layer of fine soil, then evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface, and finally cover with another layer of fine soil. Seed soaking and germination sowing requires first soaking the seeds and placing them in a suitable environment for germination, which can increase the seedling emergence rate of water dropwort. After sowing water dropwort, we should water appropriately, and wait until the water dropwort emerges. When the seedlings grow to about 5 cm, we can release a suitable amount of shallow water into the field for cultivation.

When water dropwort grows to about 15 cm, it can be transplanted. Water dropwort transplanting generally uses the thinning method, with row spacing of 25 to 30 cm and plant spacing of 15 to 20 cm, keeping three strong seedlings per clump when thinning and transplanting. After transplanting, the field needs to be dried appropriately. After the plants survive, water needs to be let into the field again, and the water level appropriately deepened.

4. Field Management

During the growth of water dropwort, we need to manage water reasonably, fertilize scientifically, and carry out intertillage and weeding when necessary. Generally, when water is let into the field, the field needs to be dried, then water is let in appropriately, and the water level is raised or lowered appropriately according to the growth of the water dropwort. Water dropwort is mainly grown to promote the growth of its stems and leaves and to maintain a fresh and tender taste, so when fertilizing we usually mainly use nitrogen fertilizer, combined with potassium fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and boron fertilizer as topdressing, which can ensure the growth and quality of water dropwort. Finally, water dropwort can keep reproducing, so we must harvest it in time, otherwise it will affect the yield of water dropwort and the quality in the later period.

The above are the planting methods for water dropwort. In fact, its planting methods are also very similar to those for wild celery, because the environments suitable for their growth are basically the same, which is why many people cannot tell water dropwort and wild celery apart. That is all for today's sharing from the editor. I hope it can help everyone. If you have other questions to ask, remember to leave a message for the editor.