The Latest Efficient Cultivation and Management Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Water Spinach

Water spinach, also known as bamboo-leaf vegetable, hollow-heart vegetable, swamp cabbage, tongcai or vine vegetable, is a fast-growing leafy green vegetable that has been actively introduced and cultivated in various regions in recent years. Its main management techniques are as follows:

Raising sprouted seedlings

The seed coat of water spinach is relatively thin and not hard, and it absorbs water rather quickly, so sowing dry seeds will allow them to germinate. Soaking seeds to promote germination before sowing. For example, for each 300 sq m greenhouse, about 2.5 kg of seeds is needed. Soak the seeds in 1/1000 thiophanate for 30 minutes, then rinse them several times, and then soak them in clean water for 22 hours. After removing and washing them, wrap them in gauze and place them in a constant-temperature chamber at 30°C to promote germination. Once the seeds split their coats and show white, they can be sown. Before sowing, first fill small stone grains into the planting cups to 2/3 of their height, place them closely together in the raising troughs, with about 2000 cups per trough, and add clean water to the troughs up to 1/3 of the planting cups. Sow 3 seeds per planting cup with the root tips pointing downward, and after sowing cover them with another layer of small stone grains to slightly cover the seeds. Cover the trough surface with foam boards to maintain humidity inside the trough, and water frequently when it is dry. Soaking seeds to promote germination: the seed coat of water spinach seeds is thick and hard. If sown directly, germination will be slow due to low temperature, and if there is prolonged low-temperature rainy weather, it will cause the seeds to rot. Therefore, it is advisable to promote germination. You can soak the seeds in warm water at about 30°C for 18-20 hours, then wrap them in gauze and place them in a germination chamber at 30°C to promote germination. When 50%-60% of the seeds show white, they can be sown.

Preparatory work before planting

1. Site selection. When selecting a site, choose a plot with sufficient sunlight and no shading objects around it, and the soil should be loose and breathable, with a suitable pH value and suitable soil moisture. It must be suitable for the growth of water spinach.

2. Land preparation and bed making. Before sowing, the land needs to be prepared and beds made. We should deeply plow the soil. If conditions permit, it is best to use a rotary tiller for rotary tillage. A depth of about 10-15 cm is relatively suitable. The bed height can be determined by the root depth of water spinach, and a depth of about 10-15 cm is relatively suitable. After leveling the soil, make beds, and they should be flat beds running north-south. The width of the bed should be about 1.2 m. The bed ridge height is 0.2 m and the width is 0.3 m, in order to facilitate later watering and other production management. We can add a partition to the bed about every 0.3 m. Before land preparation, weeds in the land should be removed in advance, so as to prevent weeds from competing with water spinach seeds for nutrients.

3. The method of applying base fertilizer and disinfecting is to broadcast according to the standard of 100 kg of lime per 667 sq m. The broadcasting should be even. After broadcasting, deeply plow the soil layer, and a plowing depth of about 15-20 cm is relatively suitable. After deeply plowing the soil layer, sun-dry the soil. After sun-drying for 1-2 days, sowing can be carried out.

Planting

As water spinach grows, planting should be carried out later, and the overly dense parts should be removed so that water spinach can grow better. After removing them, water and apply some organic fertilizer to supplement nutrients.

Field management

1. Intertillage and soil loosening. After direct sowing emerges, or after transplanting or cuttings survive, in combination with intertillage and weeding, apply 1500-2000 kg of 2-3 parts decomposed human and livestock manure per 666.7 sq m, and thereafter apply water once every 3-5 days.

2. Fertilizer management. About 10-15 days after sowing, when the seedlings grow to 4-6 cm, we can lift off the plastic film. If the film is not lifted in time, it will affect the development of the water spinach seedlings and may even cause the death of the seedlings. Along with the growth of the water spinach seedlings, other small weeds will also grow, and they will compete with water spinach for nutrients, which is not conducive to the growth of water spinach. Therefore, we need to carry out intertillage and weeding. All weeds on the bed surface should be pulled out. When carrying out intertillage on the bed surface, everyone should note that intertillage should not damage the plants, otherwise it is not conducive to plant growth. In later field management, attention should also often be paid to the weed situation in the field, and when weeds are seen, they should be removed in time, thereby ensuring good growth of water spinach. Water spinach is a crop harvested multiple times, so in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, multiple split topdressings must be carried out to achieve high yield. During the seedling stage, 10%-15% dilute human manure and urine can be used for drenching, with a dosage of 1000-1500 kg per mu. When the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, apply a mixture of 15-20 kg of compound fertilizer and 2-4 kg of urea. During the harvest period, apply 5-8 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as topdressing after each harvest.

3. Water management. Observe the dry and wet conditions of the soil. If the soil is relatively dry, then watering should be carried out. When watering, the amount of water must be sufficient, and it should be watered thoroughly so that the soil fully absorbs moisture. In later daily management, generally speaking, as long as the soil is seen to be relatively dry, watering can be carried out. Water spinach is a crop harvested multiple times, so in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, topdressing must be carried out to achieve high yield. When the water spinach seedlings grow to 5-10 cm, the first topdressing can be carried out. When topdressing, it should be applied according to the standard of 500-700 kg of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m. When topdressing, the fertilizer should first be diluted, and then applied along with watering. Fertilization should be even. Otherwise, too much fertilizer in one place will burn the plants to death. Before harvesting, generally speaking, carrying out topdressing once is enough.

Timely harvesting

Timely harvesting is the key to high yield and high quality of water spinach. Generally, when water spinach grows to about 25-35 cm, it can be harvested. If it is not harvested in time, it will not only affect the taste of water spinach when eaten but also reduce the yield. Water spinach is a vegetable harvested multiple times. Generally speaking, open-field cultivated water spinach can be harvested continuously until mid-to-late August. When harvesting, all parts of the water spinach more than 4-5 cm above the ground should be harvested. Do not damage the roots of the water spinach. After harvesting water spinach, it should be tied into bundles of about 1 kg each. Because water spinach is a crop harvested multiple times, after harvesting, topdressing should also be carried out in time in combination with watering. When topdressing, it should be applied according to the standard of 400-500 kg of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m.

Pest and disease control

Water spinach has relatively few major diseases, and the main insect pest is whitefly and similar pests. It can be controlled by spraying with 1000-1500 times dilution of chlorfenapyr and similar solutions. Spraying should be carried out once when water spinach has grown to about 8-10 cm.