How to cultivate dandelions? A full analysis of the technical key points

Dandelion, also known as po po ding, milk herb and so on, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. The whole plant can be used as medicine, with the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and dispersing abscesses and nodules. Besides medicinal use, the tender seedlings and young leaves of dandelion can be eaten raw, served as a cold dish, stir-fried, made into soup, or salted as pickles. Dandelion is widely distributed, originally mainly produced in Hebei, Henan, Anhui and other places, and can be grown in most other regions of our country.

Dandelion generally has a plant height of 15—25cm, with a vertical root. The leaves are flat, forming a rosette, and the leaf blades are narrow and long, 3cm wide. At the top of the flower stem grows one capitulum, bearing yellow ligulate flowers, and when the fruit matures, it forms a white fluffy ball, and the fruits with pappi can drift away with the wind.

I. Growth characteristics Dandelion has strong adaptability, likes light and tolerates cold, tolerates heat, tolerates cold and tolerates barren soil, and has very strong disease resistance, with few pests and diseases occurring, and it can be cultivated in most regions of our country.

II. Land preparation and fertilization Although dandelion does not have strict requirements for soil conditions, it still prefers fertile, moist, loose soil with high organic matter content. Therefore, when planting dandelion, apply sufficient base fertilizer in combination with land preparation: apply 3000-5000 kg of farmyard manure and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per 667 sq m. Before sowing dandelion, the land should first be turned and beds made, with a bed width of 80-90 cm. Open shallow furrows in the beds, with a furrow spacing of 12 cm and a furrow width of 10 cm.

III. Sowing Dandelion is propagated by seeds. Mature dandelion seeds have no dormancy period, and when the temperature is above 15°C, the seeds can be sown in moist soil. They can germinate after about 90 hours. The seeds germinate relatively quickly when the soil temperature is about 15°C, and germinate slowly when it is above 25-30°C, so sowing can be carried out from early spring to midsummer. Sow immediately after harvesting the seeds at the end of May, and it takes 10-12 days from sowing to emergence; if delayed to sowing in July-August in summer, it takes 15 days from sowing to emergence. The sowing rate is generally about 3 grams per sq m, which can ensure 700-1000 seedlings. The soil is required to be moist when sowing; if the soil is dry, water thoroughly two days before sowing. Then sow the seeds in the furrows, and cover with soil after sowing, with a soil thickness of 0.3-0.5 cm. Spring sowing is best covered with plastic film; summer sowing has sufficient rain and does not need covering.

IV. Field management After sowing, if the soil surface is not covered, it should be watered frequently to keep the soil moist so as to ensure full stands. After emergence, the soil should also always maintain appropriate moisture. During the growing season, topdressing should be applied 1-2 times. Dandelion has very strong disease and insect resistance, and generally does not require pest and disease control; the focus of field management is mainly fertilizer and water.

V. Harvesting and processing In the first year, harvest once or not at all; during the seedling stage, the outer large leaves can be picked in batches for consumption, or the leaves other than the heart leaves can be cut with a knife for consumption. From the second year onward, cut once every 15-20 days; when the leaf base grows to 10-15cm, the whole plant can be cut at one time, tied in bundles and sold on the market. It can be harvested 2-4 times each year, namely: 1-2 times in spring and 1-2 times in autumn. If sold as medicinal material, the whole plant with roots can be dug up in late autumn, shaken clean of soil and dried in the sun.