The Latest Field Management Methods for Dandelion Cultivation
When it comes to dandelion, what everyone thinks of is certainly a kind of weed, but the nutritional value of dandelion is very high. Dandelion is rich in vitamins, and its content of trace elements such as iron and calcium is not low either. It can be used for stir-frying, brewing tea, making soup and various other purposes, making it a plant that serves both as food and medicine. Nowadays the area planted with dandelion is also expanding, so how should dandelion be managed during cultivation? Let's take a look together below!
1. Water Management
During the period from sowing to emergence, the soil must be kept in a moist state. If the soil moisture content is insufficient, you can cover the soil with a layer of grass material, then water lightly to improve the soil's water retention capacity. After the dandelion seeds have successfully germinated and emerged, the amount of watering should be controlled to promote the growth capacity of the seedlings and reduce phenomena such as excessive vegetative growth and lodging. When the plants are growing rapidly, the soil should also be kept moist to promote leaf growth and photosynthesis.
2. Cultivation and Weeding
Cultivation and weeding is a relatively important task in the process of growing dandelion. Within 8-12 days after the dandelion seeds emerge, one round of cultivation and weeding must be carried out. After that, cultivation should be done at the right time according to field conditions about every 10 days, until the plants close the rows. The purpose of cultivation is to improve the soil's nutrient absorption and enhance permeability. Weeding is to prevent weeds from competing with dandelion for nutrients and water, which would hinder the growth of dandelion.
3. Thinning and Final Spacing
After the dandelion emerges, inspection of the seedlings should be done well. If weak or dead dandelion seedlings are found, pull them out promptly and replant immediately to ensure the final yield of dandelion. When the first cultivation and weeding is carried out, thin the seedlings appropriately, increasing the planting density of the seedlings, with a spacing of about 4 cm between each plant. Then after about a month, final spacing can begin, appropriately increasing the seedling spacing by about 5 cm to give the dandelion more growing space and promote growth and development.
4. Timely Topdressing
Although dandelion has strong adaptability, it must be topdressed at least twice during its growth process to ensure it has sufficient nutrients for growth and development. If planting in autumn, then after winter arrives, apply an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer and superphosphate in the field. This not only completes the fertilizing work, but can also raise the soil temperature and help the roots overwinter successfully. After entering spring, apply chemical fertilizer appropriately by the water application method to prevent burning the roots.
5. Timely Harvesting
When harvesting, note that you should try not to harvest the leaves of the young tender plants in the year they are sown; delay the harvest of the young tender plant leaves until the second year. After a year of growth, the quality and yield of the plants can be effectively improved. The main edible part of dandelion is the leaves. When harvesting, you can use a small knife to cut off the outer leaves. You can harvest all at once, or harvest about once every 3 weeks.
The above is a brief introduction to the field management methods for dandelion cultivation. Growing dandelion is actually fairly simple. The seeds are also very easy to obtain, but the difficulty lies in how to manage it. One of the relatively easier aspects is the prevention and control of pests and diseases, because dandelion has very strong disease resistance, so it can be relaxed appropriately. The main things are watering and fertilizing, and we hope everyone can take them seriously. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can be of some help to everyone!