What to pay attention to when harvesting lotus root
Lotus root is an aquatic economic crop. The leaves, fruits and flowers of lotus root all have great uses in daily life, and it is a common vegetable. Because lotus root grows underwater, certain precautions are needed during harvest. Newly matured lotus root is very fragile, and a moment of carelessness can cause the lotus root to break. But during harvest it is not only the lotus root that needs care; other aspects also require attention. Let us take a look below.
1. Lotus leaves
When the lotus root reaches maturity and needs to be harvested, the lotus leaves no longer have any effect on the growth and development of the stems and roots. On the day of digging the lotus root, part of the lotus leaves need to be removed. The picked leaves are placed in the sun to dry, and after drying they are stored to wrap things that need wrapping. The lotus leaves can also be removed about a week before the planned harvest, because this can stop the respiration and development of the lotus root, remove the rust marks on the lotus root, make the lotus root easier to clean after being dug out, and enhance the appearance and quality of the lotus root.
2. Digging the lotus root
When the underside of the lotus leaves turns red and begins to wither and yellow, it means the lotus root has matured. If you start digging the lotus root while the lotus leaves are still tender green, the lotus root is very tender at this time, and a moment of carelessness will break it during digging. The water in the field cannot be drained, and you need to feel around with your hands to dig out the lotus root. Alternatively, dig the lotus root when the lotus leaves wither, but the water in the field must be drained 7-11 days before digging, and then an iron spade or other tools can be used for digging. First dig out the lotus root above, then follow the lotus root and hollow out the mud below, and slowly free the lotus root.
3. Storage
Lotus root is a crop that is not easy to store. In autumn and spring it can be stored for at most 1-2 weeks, while in winter the storage time is longer, about one month. However, the lotus root to be stored must be fully mature and not broken, and the mud on the lotus root body must not be washed off. If there are broken varieties, the mud from the field needs to be used to seal them. During storage and transport, the stacking density must not be too great. Lotus leaves or grass material should be covered over the lotus root to keep the lotus root moist and prevent the lotus root from rotting.
4. Keeping seed roots
When harvesting lotus root, lotus root seeds for the next planting must be left in the lotus root field. The soil of the lotus root field should be relatively sticky and thin. When the seed lotus root overwinters, a water layer of 1-3 cm must be maintained in the lotus root field, and the soil must not be allowed to freeze and crack. If there is no way to maintain the water layer in the field, a layer of lotus leaves or grass material can be covered on the soil for cold protection. The seed lotus root can be found by the places in the field where bubbles come up, and attention should be paid to the regularity of the daughter lotus roots and their growth direction.
The above are the conditions required before and after digging lotus root. When digging lotus root, be sure not to break the lotus root, as breaking it will cause the loss of nutrients from the lotus root and affect the quality of the lotus root. Therefore, when digging lotus root, use little force and do not use too much force. Lotus root is a crop that cannot lack water, and after being dug out the water requirement of the lotus root must also be maintained. Maintain the variety of the lotus root.