A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Times and Methods for A-choy
A-choy is a vegetable that has become relatively popular on the market in recent years. It is largely very similar to celtuce leaves, and its taste is also very close. The only difference is that it is a leaf vegetable while celtuce is a stem vegetable. Also, although celtuce leaves can be eaten too, their taste is somewhat bitter, whereas A-choy has a slightly sweet flavor. Today let us follow Qinong Net to learn when A-choy is planted and its planting methods.
Planting Time
Previously, A-choy could be said to be a seasonal vegetable in season, but at present it seems that A-choy can be seen on the market all year round. That is because A-choy has a particularly strong ability to adapt to the environment and because of the development of current planting techniques, so the planting time of A-choy can be said to be all year round. However, the normal planting time of A-choy is generally from mid-to-late April to mid-May in spring, August in summer, and September in autumn. Winter is relatively cold, so if you want to plant A-choy, try to choose greenhouse planting.
Planting Methods
1. Land selection and land preparation
Because A-choy has a relatively strong ability to adapt to the environment, its requirements for the land are not particularly strict. It can be said that as long as it is a piece of land and it is given a bit of careful attention, it can grow very well. However, when preparing the land, pay attention to deep plowing as much as possible, and apply base fertilizer well. It has certain requirements for soil fertility, so the base fertilizer is basically mainly farmyard manure, but at the same time urea, diammonium phosphate, potassium sulfate, and compound fertilizer should be mixed evenly and spread well before plowing.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
It is best to sow after rain; otherwise, artificial watering is needed. First, water the land to make it wet, then scatter the A-choy seeds in, then spread a layer of farmyard manure over the surface of the seeds, that is, livestock droppings, and finally spread a layer of fine soil to cover the seeds. If the temperature is not particularly high yet, you can cover with a layer of film to promote germination. When eighty percent have already grown young buds, uncover the film in time, otherwise the seedlings will be burned.
3. Scientific transplanting
Generally, about five or six days after germination, transplanting can begin. Usually the spacing between plants is about 20 cm, and the distance between rows is 15 cm. If transplanting is carried out at this spacing, the yield of A-choy will be relatively high, and at the same time it also prevents some diseases caused by density.
⟦NL>4. Field management
Field management means controlling field moisture and nutrients during the growth period of A-choy. The growth process of A-choy needs a large amount of nutrients, and generally three fertilizations are required. When A-choy has five or six leaves, one fertilization should be carried out. The second fertilization is when A-choy grows to 20 cm. The third fertilization is the final growth-promoting application when A-choy is almost ready to be harvested. The usual fertilization method is to dilute potassium dihydrogen phosphate or other foliar fertilizers with water and then spray them on the leaves.
5. Pest prevention
The most common disease of A-choy is downy mildew, and the pest most likely to appear is leaf worms. For downy mildew, we generally use Previcur or metalaxyl mancozeb wettable powder for control, while leaf worms are rather troublesome. Generally, fenpyroximate emulsifiable concentrate is used for spraying and killing. If planting on a small area, you can catch the worms by hand, which makes the vegetables more environmentally friendly.
6. Timely harvesting
The harvest time must be timely. If it is for your own consumption, you can harvest earlier, when the leaves are very tender. But if it is for sale, it is generally harvested when A-choy has grown 15 to 20 leaves. At this time the leaves are still relatively good and can also fetch a good price. If harvested too late, the leaves will all become old, and they will look unappetizing.