The Latest Technical Guide to Burdock Field Management

Burdock is an improved vegetable introduced from abroad. It looks very similar to Chinese yam, but there are certain differences, so people unfamiliar with these two vegetables can easily mistake one for the other. Burdock is also called Oriental ginseng. It can not only help prevent cancer but also treat some minor ailments in daily life. It is a purely natural nutritional product and a very good choice for people who care about health and wellness. So when growing burdock, how should field management be carried out? Let us take a look together below.

1. Checking seedlings and filling gaps

Burdock basically emerges about one week after planting, so we need to check the emergence of burdock in the field as soon as possible to see whether all the seedlings in the field have emerged completely, then identify the reasons why some did not emerge and promptly replant missing seedlings. Replanting should be done on cloudy days or before and after rain, as this gives the replanted burdock a higher survival rate. Finally, note that replanting must be completed within seven days, which makes later unified management easier.

2. Thinning seedlings and establishing planting spacing

While replanting missing seedlings, we need to observe whether any places in the field have relatively dense seedlings. If so, timely thinning is needed. Generally, only two seedlings need to be kept per plant, and the excess should be pulled out promptly to avoid consuming too many nutrients and weakening soil fertility. Next, establish the planting spacing at 35 to 40 cm per row and 25 to 30 cm per plant.

3. Cultivation and weeding

Burdock grows relatively slowly, so cultivation and weeding are needed during planting. This can let the soil breathe, promote root growth, and at the same time promote nutrient absorption. Under normal planting conditions, burdock needs about four to five rounds of cultivation and weeding throughout its entire growth process. The first is carried out about three days after the replanted seedlings survive, and afterward scientific cultivation and weeding should be carried out according to burdock's growth condition, with the weeding time controlled by yourself.

4. Scientific fertilization and watering

If there is no rainfall when replanting missing seedlings, then watering must be done promptly after replanting, otherwise the survival rate of the plants will be affected. Next, throughout burdock's entire growth process, the soil moisture in the field should be kept above 60 percent, so as to maintain the water needed for normal burdock growth. Each watering should mainly be based on the dry and wet condition of the field soil for watering and drainage. After planting, burdock generally does not receive topdressing until the second year. According to the standard of 2,000 jin of organic fertilizer and 30 jin of phosphate fertilizer per mu, spread them evenly between the intervals, then combine with cultivation to turn the fertilizer into the soil. Then, when burdock flowers, an appropriate amount of foliar fertilizer can be applied as topdressing, which can promote burdock growth and ensure burdock quality.

5. Pest and disease control

The most common pests and diseases of burdock are black spot disease and aphids. Brown spot disease is mainly a fungal disease caused by high temperature and high humidity. It mainly harms burdock stems and leaves, so we should strengthen water management in the field and carry out rational fertilization to enhance the immunity of the plants. Next, when the disease occurs, chlorothalonil can be used for control, and generally three to four sprays are needed to thoroughly control it. Aphids basically run through burdock's entire growth process, affecting plant growth and causing great harm to stems and leaves. We can use yellow sticky boards for trapping and killing, and at the same time use pirimicarb wettable powder for spraying and killing.