How to Grow A-choy? Latest Cultivation Techniques and Method Tutorial

A-choy is a pointed-leaf type leaf lettuce harvested for its tender shoots and tender leaves. It has strong adaptability and prefers a cool climate, but with measures such as insulation in winter and shading in summer, it can be produced all year round. In autumn and winter greenhouse cultivation, it takes only 40 to 45 days from transplanting to harvest, and the yield per mu can reach more than 3000 kg, with quite good planting returns. Now let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for A-choy!

Growth Habits of A-choy

A-choy seeds do not have high requirements for germination conditions. Generally, they can germinate smoothly at above 4°C. If the temperature is between 15 and 20°C, A-choy seeds can germinate in only 3 to 4 days. If the temperature exceeds 30°C, A-choy seeds will not germinate. The most suitable temperature for A-choy during the seedling stage is 12 to 20°C. If the daytime temperature exceeds 24°C and the nighttime temperature is also above 19°C, it can easily cause A-choy to bolt prematurely.

Cultivation Cycle of A-choy

1. Spring sowing from January to March: raise seedlings in a greenhouse. Build 2 beds in a standard greenhouse, open 1 ditch in the middle, deeply plow and build the beds, water thoroughly with base water, broadcast the seeds in the beds, cover with seed soil just enough to cover the seeds, lay plastic film flat, and generally seedlings emerge in 10 to 15 days. In cloudy and rainy low-temperature periods, seedling emergence takes longer. After full emergence, remove the plastic film, ventilate and exchange air, prevent high temperatures from damaging seedlings during the day, and prevent freezing damage at night.

2. Summer sowing from April to June: raise seedlings in open fields. Choose high-lying land, 2 m including ditches, deeply plow and apply decomposed barnyard manure, build beds and level them. Soak the seeds for 3 hours, and sow after the seeds are dried. Water the seedling bed thoroughly with base water, scatter the seeds on the bed surface, cover well with seed soil, and water thoroughly. In case of high temperature and drought, cover the bed with a shade net, uncover the net in the morning and evening after full emergence, and keep fertilizer and water in the seedling bed moderate, not too dry.

3. Autumn sowing from July to September: raise seedlings in a greenhouse. For A-choy seedling cultivation, soak the seeds to promote germination. The method is to wrap the seeds in gauze, soak them in water for 3 to 4 hours, then take them out and place them in the refrigerator compartment for 10 to 15 hours. Sow when 75% have sprouted. For autumn sowing and seedling cultivation, it is best to use a small arch shed or greenhouse. After emergence, pay attention to soil moisture, avoid being too dry or too wet, and remove weeds in time to ensure smooth drainage.

Seedling Techniques for A-choy

1. Seed treatment: For A-choy seedling cultivation, soak the seeds to promote germination. Wrap the seeds in gauze, soak them in cool water for about 1 hour, then take them out and place them at 15 to 20°C or in a household refrigerator compartment for 2 to 3 days. Sow once the seeds show white sprouts.

2. Seedbed preparation: Choose a seedbed plot where long-residual herbicides such as Pursuit and chlorimuron-ethyl have not been applied to the previous crop, with high and dry terrain and strong water and fertilizer retention capacity. Apply more organic fertilizer. Use 15 to 20 sq m of seedbed per mu of cultivation field.

3. Timely sowing: When sowing, mix an appropriate amount of fine sand with the seeds, separate the seeds, then broadcast them for seedling cultivation. Do not sow too densely to prevent seedlings from becoming leggy. Cover the seeds with 0.5 cm of medicinal soil mixed with phoxim, and build a shed for sun protection and rain protection.

4. Seedling stage management: When A-choy seedlings grow two true leaves, divide the seedlings, with a transplanting density of 6×6 cm. The A-choy seedbed should be kept moist, and shade is needed at noon. At the same time, during the seedling stage of A-choy, attention should be paid to pest and disease control.

Planting Management of A-choy

1. Land preparation and bed making: Before transplanting A-choy, apply 3500 to 4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 20 to 25 kg of phosphate fertilizer, 40 to 50 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, and 10 to 15 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu. The bed width is 1 to 1.5 m, the plant and row spacing is 10×10 to 15 cm, and 40,000 to 50,000 plants are planted per mu.

2. Cultivation and weeding: After A-choy is transplanted and revived, apply 1 to 2 small amounts of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer along with watering, generally 5 kg of urea or ammonium sulfate per mu, to promote plant growth and tillering. After that, keep the soil moist frequently and cultivate and weed in time.

3. Timely shed covering: A-choy is a fast-growing leafy vegetable. Its suitable growth temperature is 18 to 25°C. When the nighttime temperature is below 12°C, cover the shed. After covering, adjust the shed temperature and relative humidity in the shed in time. Generally, the relative temperature in the shed should be less than 90%.

4. Reasonable topdressing: During A-choy cultivation, keep it clean and hygienic. In the early and middle growth stages, use 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and urea solution for foliar spraying 3 to 4 times. Apply topdressing 2 to 3 times throughout the growth period, with 5 to 10 kg of urea or 10 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu.

5. Pest and disease control: The main insect pest of A-choy is aphids, which can be sprayed with 800 times dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate. The main diseases are downy mildew and soft rot, which are controlled by spraying 300 to 500 times dilution of 70% mancozeb wettable powder and 0.02% agricultural streptomycin respectively.

6. Timely harvest: When A-choy reaches 30 to 34 leaves, a plant height of 45 to 48 cm, and a spread of 60 to 69 cm, it can be harvested all at once at 2 to 3 cm above the ground. After harvesting, remove old leaves and diseased leaves and supply the winter market in time.