Detailed Explanation of the Key Points of Dandelion Cultivation and Planting Techniques

I. Variety Selection and Seed Collection:

There are some excellent dandelion varieties abroad, such as the thick-leaf variety from France, whose leaves are large and fleshy. In China, mainly wild dandelion seeds are collected. When collecting seeds, select plants with large leaves, abundant green leaves, deeper serrations, and thick sturdy rootstocks as seed-collectionstock for cultivation. In summer, when the receptacle turns from green to yellow, cut the flowers at 8-9 o'clock every morning, place them indoors to after-ripen for 1 day, wait until the inflorescences have all spread open, then dry them in the shade for 1-2 days, rub off the pappus by hand, and sun-dry for later use. Seed collection of dandelion should have a fixed seed nursery plot.

II. Cultivation of Dandelion Fleshy Taproots:

The fleshy taproots used for producing body bud vegetables can be collected directly from the wild. Although this is relatively economical, the fleshy taproots are not plump and cannot produce high-quality body bud vegetables, so artificial cultivation is recommended.

1. Pre-sowing preparation: Choose loose, fertile, and organic-matter-rich sandy loam as the planting site. After the autumn harvest, clean the field and prepare the land in combination with plowing and turning. Apply 4000-5000 kg of thoroughly decomposed high-quality farmyard manure per 1 mu. After the soil thaws the following year, make beds 1.2 m wide and wait for sowing.

2. Sowing: Begin sowing when the soil temperature reaches above 15°C. Open shallow furrows 2-3 cm deep in the bed, with a furrow spacing of 10 cm and a width of 10 cm, firm the soil and water thoroughly, mix the seeds with fine sand, stir evenly, and broadcast them in the furrows. Cover with soil 2-3 cm, and finally insert bamboo arch strips on both sides of the bed and cover with plastic film to maintain the most suitable temperature and humidity for dandelion germination.

3. Seedling stage management: Seedlings emerge about 9-12 days after sowing. After the seedlings emerge completely, remove the film and promptly carry out intertillage, weeding, topdressing, and watering to promote vigorous seedling growth. When dandelion seedlings enter the 2-3 true leaf stage, 5-6 true leaf stage, and 7-9 true leaf stage, thinning should be carried out 3 times respectively in combination with intertillage and weeding (the thinned seedlings can be sold on the market). For the last thinning, select strong seedlings and set them at a plant spacing of 5 cm and a row spacing of 10 cm. After thinning and setting, generally water promptly; after setting, apply 15-20 g of urea and 6-8 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per square meter, and water once more in combination with topdressing. During this period, prevent excessive vegetative growth and lodging, and in combination with intertillage, promptly remove weeds in the field.

4. Seedling hardening and field management: After dandelion seedlings are set, they quickly enter the rosette stage. This stage is the key stage that lays the foundation for the taproot to thicken. For a period afterward, do not water until the taproot enters the rapid thickening stage. Dandelion has strong stress resistance and disease resistance. The focus of field management is weed removal and fertilizer-water management. Water and topdress promptly according to plant growth conditions and soil moisture. Foliar fertilization can also be used to delay leaf senescence. Do not harvest in the sowing year, so as to promote luxuriant growth and thick taproots, facilitating the production of high-quality body bud vegetables in early spring the following year.

5. Harvest and storage of taproots: The harvest of taproots should be completed at the latest before freezing. Sort the dug-out root plants, remove old leaves, and retain the complete root system and terminal buds. At the same time, prepare a storage cellar. It is best to choose a shaded plot and dig a storage cellar 1-1.2 m wide and 1.5 m deep (extending east-west). Place the taproots into the cellar, stack them neatly, with a height not exceeding 50 cm. In the early storage period, prevent excessively high temperatures that may cause the taproots to rot or sprout, and in the later storage period, prevent freezing.

III. Dandelion Forcing Cultivation Techniques

1. Preparation of the forcing bed: According to the conditions, choose various protective facilities that can stably maintain a temperature of 8-25°C. Inside the facility, make a cultivation bed with a soil thickness of 40-50 cm. The cultivation substrate uses clean soil or river sand, etc. Finally, disinfect the inside of the facility with a smoke fumigant.

2. Forcing method: Before forcing, take the taproots out of the storage cellar 1 day in advance and air-dry them in the shade. Grade the dandelion taproots by length. Then stack and bury them trench by trench according to grade, with a stacking and burying spacing of 2-3 cm. The burial depth should be such that the root head growth point is exposed, and the stacking should be neat. After stacking and burying, water thoroughly immediately. After watering, 2-3 days later, insert small arches and cover with black film.

3. Management after forcing: Management after forcing is mainly the regulation of temperature and humidity inside the facility. Generally, the temperature in the bed should be maintained at 15-20°C, and the relative air humidity is best controlled at 60%-75%. The specific methods for regulating temperature and humidity are the same as those for general facility cultivation. Since young leaf growth mainly depends on stored nutrients, no fertilization is needed during this period. The key to high yield is cultivating thick, plump, and well-filled taproots, and storing them reasonably in winter to reduce nutrient consumption.

4. Harvest: When the leaves reach 10-15 cm, cut the leaves with a knife, taking care to protect the growth point. After washing, the young leaves are bundled and packaged for market. Harvesting should generally be done in the early morning. To extend the market supply period, forcing can be carried out in stages and batches, which requires cold storage equipment such as refrigerated warehouses.

High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Dandelion

Dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. The whole plant can be used as medicine and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and reducing abscesses and dispersing nodules. In addition to medicinal use, dandelion young seedlings and tender leaves can be eaten raw, served as cold dressed dishes, stir-fried, made into soup, pickled as salty vegetables, etc. Because wild dandelion resources have been depleted year after year, developing artificial cultivation is imperative.

I. Growth Characteristics

Dandelion has strong adaptability, likes light, tolerates cold, tolerates heat, tolerates cold and barren conditions, has very strong disease resistance, and rarely suffers from diseases and insect pests. It can be cultivated in most areas of China.

II. Land Preparation and Fertilization

Choose loose, fertile, moist, and well-drained sandy soil for planting. Deep plow 20-25 cm, level and harrow finely, and make beds 10-20 cm long, 1.2-1.5 m wide, and 15 cm high, or make small ridges 45 cm wide for planting. Apply 4000-4500 kg of organic fertilizer and 15 kg of superphosphate per mu, evenly scattering them into the bed.

III. Sowing

1. Seed treatment: Soak the seeds in 50°C water and place them at 25°C for germination. The seeds have no dormancy period and can be sown in the open field at any time from spring to autumn, and can be sown in a greenhouse in winter.

2. Open-field sowing: Use either drilling or broadcasting on the bed surface or on the ridges. Drilling: Open shallow transverse furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 25-30 cm, with a sowing width of about 10 cm. After sowing the seeds, cover with 1 cm of soil, then press lightly. Broadcasting: Broadcast on a flat bed, using about 1 kg of seed per mu. After sowing, cover with grass to keep warm and moist. Remove the covering grass when seedlings emerge. Seedlings can emerge in about 7-10 days.

3. Greenhouse sowing: From late November to early December, raise seedlings and transplant. If cultivating in a large greenhouse or medium and small arched greenhouse, cover with agricultural film in February-March of the following year, and harvest new shoots in late March. At this time, the market price is relatively high, which can increase income.