The Latest Chicory Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques Explained in Detail
We may not know much about chicory, but its benefits and value are quite remarkable. Every part of chicory is useful: its young shoots can be eaten, its leaves can be used as forage, and its root can be used as medicine. In recent years, a tea called chicory tea has also appeared on the market. It is made from many medicinal materials, among which the main ingredient is chicory root. So today what we are going to learn about is how to plant chicory. Let's take a look together.
1. Land Preparation and Fertilization
Chicory can grow in clay, loam, or sandy soil. It does not have high requirements for soil, but it will grow better in slightly acidic soil. When preparing the land, we should carry out scientific land preparation according to the characteristics of chicory seeds. Chicory seeds are very small, so the soil in the planting area should be prepared relatively fine, then evenly spread with a sufficient amount of farmyard manure as base fertilizer, and finally plow the land once more, rake the soil level, and it is ready for sowing.
2. Sow at the Right Time
Before sowing, the seeds need to be treated. About one week before sowing, the seeds should be placed in a cool and well-ventilated place to dry in the sun. After two days, collect them and soak them in cold water. Once the seeds are thoroughly soaked, take them out and drain off the water, and then they are ready for sowing. We generally sow from June to early August each year. The sowing methods include direct sowing, drilling, and raising seedlings for transplanting, but drilling is the most commonly used because it is simpler and also convenient for management.
3. Reasonable Close Planting
After the seeds germinate, we first need to check how the chicory seedlings are growing in the field, whether there are places with missing seedlings or places where the seedlings are too dense. If either of these two situations occurs, thinning and replanting should be carried out in time to ensure uniform seedlings in the field. If raising seedlings for transplanting, make sure each plant has at least three seedlings, and the spacing between each plant only needs to be kept at about 15 to 20 cm.
4. Field Management
Field management for chicory is relatively simple. It mainly involves three aspects: fertilization, watering, and pest and disease control. When the seedlings grow to about 5 cm, fertilization is needed, mainly with urea, with an appropriate amount of trace-element fertilizer added. Urea can be applied by broadcasting, but this is relatively wasteful, so it is best to apply urea diluted with water for irrigation, so that watering and fertilization are done in one step. If there is standing water in the field, drain it in time. At the same time, chicory does not need weeding. Finally, the common diseases of chicory include downy mildew and rot, both of which are diseases caused by excessive moisture in the field and too high humidity in the air. We can use chlorothalonil and carbendazim respectively for control. Its main pests are aphids and some underground pests. We can use dimethoate for control, and we can also use pesticides targeting underground pests for root-irrigation control.
5. Harvest at the Right Time
The stems and leaves of chicory can be harvested at least three to five times. For the first harvest, we can cut when the sprouts are still yellow-white after chicory germination. The second harvest is when chicory has grown to about 20 to 30 cm. After that, each harvest should be done only after the plants have grown to a certain length. Finally, after the stems and leaves have been harvested, the roots are dug up.