How to Grow Water Chestnuts Well? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Water chestnuts have an extremely high protein content. They are an aquatic herbaceous plant, mainly produced in the Yangtze River and Pearl River regions. Their efficacy and range of uses are both relatively broad, most commonly used for clearing heat and promoting diuresis, as well as for conditions such as stomach cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer, and hemorrhoids. They can be used as medicine or eaten as a vegetable, and can also be eaten raw as a fruit. So how exactly should water chestnuts be grown for the best results? Let's take a look together below.
1. Select Good Varieties
There are currently quite a few water chestnut varieties on the market, so you need to choose high-quality, high-yielding, strongly resistant varieties with good market demand for planting. First, you need to investigate the local climate, soil, and market, then select the water chestnut variety suitable for local planting. This can not only improve the yield and quality of water chestnuts but also increase the economic benefits of water chestnut cultivation.
2. Soil Selection
Water chestnuts are an aquatic plant, so when choosing a planting site, you should get as close to a water source as possible. At the same time, water chestnuts are a light-loving plant, so you should choose a sunny location. It is best to plant them in ponds or lakes where the soil contains more organic matter and sufficient nutrients and which are convenient for irrigation and drainage, and the depth of mud in the water should be no less than 20 cm. When preparing the land, remove the excess mud from the pond, clear away the weeds in the pond, spread an appropriate amount of farmyard manure, and then disinfect. After disinfection is complete, you can sow.
3. Sow at the Right Time
If you want a high yield of water chestnuts, you need to plant them at the right time. Since there are now several ways to grow water chestnuts, we need to determine the planting time according to the specific planting mode, and secondly, we also need to consider the climate and temperature of the planting site. The normal planting time for water chestnuts is generally around early March each year, but if greenhouse technology is used for planting, they can be planted in December each year.
4. Reasonable Close Planting
At present, the most commonly used propagation method for water chestnuts is division propagation, which means selecting relatively robust rhizomes of water chestnuts for planting. When planting, the spacing should be about 1.5 to 2 m between rows and about 1 m between plants, because their branching ability is extremely strong and they will soon grow densely packed. About a week after planting, you need to check the growth of the water chestnuts in the field. If you find missing seedlings, you need to replant them in time to ensure a full stand of seedlings in the field.
5. Field Management
The most important part of field management is actually regulating the water level and managing water quality, followed by fertilizing and weeding. After the water chestnuts are planted, the water level in the field is best kept at around 25 cm, and then as the water chestnuts grow, gradually raise the water level, but the maximum water depth in the field must not exceed 2 m. Secondly, we also need to change the water regularly during normal times, otherwise it will cause many unnecessary diseases. Then, when the water chestnuts are rooting, we can apply an appropriate amount of urea or manure water according to their growth. When the water chestnuts bloom and bear fruit, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer as a top dressing. As for weeding water chestnuts, it is best to remove the weeds before they grow, otherwise once the water chestnuts grow up, weeding becomes difficult.
6. Pest and Disease Control
The most common pests and diseases of water chestnuts are southern blight and leaf beetles. There are many causes of southern blight, such as excessive weeds, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, and water levels that are too low or too deep, all of which may trigger southern blight. We can use carbendazim for control, while applying an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer, and promptly weeding and scientifically controlling the water level. The leaf beetle mainly damages the water chestnut rosette, thereby affecting the fruit yield of water chestnuts. Dimethoate emulsion can usually be used for control.