A Detailed Explanation of the Latest Turmeric Planting Methods and Key Technical Points
Turmeric, also known as Yujin and Baodingxiang, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Curcuma. It is hailed as a “superfood” and is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with extremely high medicinal value. It can be used as an antidepressant and has protective effects against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. It also appears frequently in our daily lives, such as turmeric powder. Let's take a look at its planting methods below.
1. Land preparation and fertilization
Turmeric is suitable for growing in a warm and humid climate. When planting, it is best to choose sandy loam soil with deep soil layers, loose and fertile texture, and good drainage. After selecting the planting site, clear away weeds and crop residues in the field and deep-plow the soil. During plowing, apply 3000 kg of livestock compost and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer, or use chemical fertilizer instead, applying 90-100 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer per mu. Mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, then harrow finely and level.
2. Sowing
Turmeric is mainly propagated asexually through rhizomes. Select turmeric with robust growth, plump and full rhizomes, and dense buds as seed material. When sowing, cut the selected rhizomes into small pieces of 2-3 cm, and each piece must have 1-2 small buds so that it can germinate and emerge normally. Sowing can be done in holes or furrows. The sowing time is from October to November. When sowing, control the plant and row spacing at 20×15 cm, and use 6000-8000 seed pieces per mu.
3. Cultivation and weeding
After sowing, germination and emergence begin 25-30 days later. When the seedlings grow to more than 10 cm, manual weeding should be carried out. When weeding, it is recommended to pull them out directly by hand and not use pesticides, so as to avoid killing the seedlings. Every year from July to August is the active period for turmeric, so soil should be hilled up in time. Generally, the hilling height is about 10 cm to prevent the plants from lodging. Weeding should also be carried out during hilling, and herbicides should likewise not be used; cutting with a knife can be used instead.
4. Fertilizer and water management
Turmeric should be fertilized three times a year. The first time is at the seedling stage, when nitrogen fertilizer is the main type, applying 30-40 kg per mu. When fertilizing, avoid direct contact with the plants so that concentrated fertilizer does not affect plant growth. Generally, water after fertilizing to reduce the concentration and speed up fertilizer absorption.
The second time is from May to June, when the plants are in their peak growth period, so the demand for nutrients is relatively high. Therefore, timely topdressing is needed to provide what the plants need for growth. At this time, apply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer, generally about 80 kg per mu, and cover with soil while applying to prevent nutrient loss.
The third time is in July and can be combined with cultivation and hilling. This fertilization is extremely important and is related to the yield of turmeric. Apply 1-5 kg of organic fertilizer or 0.1 kg of compound fertilizer per plant, or apply them together, but pay attention to the supply of potassium fertilizer, as potassium fertilizer can improve the yield and quality of turmeric.
Turmeric likes moisture but fears waterlogging. When dry, water more, and in the rainy season, take good drainage measures to avoid root rot. Watering can be done together with fertilizing.
The above are the planting methods for turmeric. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more about medicinal herb cultivation, please stay tuned to us.