How to grow Chinese artichoke? A full breakdown of the latest planting methods
Chinese artichoke is the underground rhizome of the Lamiaceae plant Stachys affinis, also known as earth silkworm, Chinese artichoke, and earth ginseng. It gets the name Chinese artichoke because its shape resembles a screw. Its flesh is thick and plump, with a crisp and tender texture, and it can also be candied into preserves. It tastes excellent and is rich in nutrients, and many people are fond of it. Let's take a look at its planting methods below.
1. Land preparation and fertilization
Chinese artichoke has strong environmental adaptability, tolerates cold and resists heat, and generally suffers very little from pests and diseases. It likes fertilizer but fears waterlogging, so when planting, it is best to choose fertile, loose sandy soil, and preferably plant in areas with convenient drainage and irrigation. Prepare the land in the autumn of the previous year by plowing it and using the sun to bake it, reducing overwintering sources of pests and diseases. Apply 1500 kg of farmyard manure and 100 kg of other compound fertilizer per mu, then harrow and level it finely in the early spring of the planting year.
2. Sowing
When planting, choose varieties according to the local climate and soil conditions. Chinese artichoke is propagated from tubers. Once the soil has thawed to 10-15 cm, you can open furrows and sow in spots. The sowing depth should be 5-7 cm, not too deep or too shallow, and the plant-to-row spacing should be controlled at 15×30-45 cm. Sow 1-2 uniformly sized, disease-free, robust tubers per hole, then cover with soil and press down. Generally, control it at about 1-1.5 plants per mu, with about 100 kg of seed tubers used.
3. Field management
After the seedlings emerge, carry out cultivating and weeding. First, this loosens the soil and promotes rhizome growth; second, it prevents weeds from affecting seedling growth. For weeding, it is recommended to pull them by hand and not use chemical agents. If planting on a large scale, you can use agents with lower harm. Also carry out appropriate hilling to prevent the stolons from being exposed. During the tuber enlargement period, stop cultivating to avoid damaging the tubers. In addition, if the plants grow too vigorously, prune them appropriately to suppress their growth.
4. Fertilizer and water management
After applying sufficient base fertilizer, later topdressing should mainly use quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. Generally, apply 10 kg of urea per mu in May-June, and apply it once more in July. By August, during the tuber enlargement period, heavy application of enlargement fertilizer is needed. In addition to continuing to apply urea, also apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with 30 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu, to prevent premature aging of the plants and speed up tuber enlargement. Water management is relatively simple: just water during drought, but during the dog days of summer, absolutely do not irrigate heavily. During the rainy season, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging and avoid root rot.
The above are the planting methods for Chinese artichoke. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more planting knowledge, please stay tuned to us.