Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Growing Malabar Spinach in Summer and Autumn

Malabar spinach, also known as Ceylon spinach or vine spinach, is grown for its tender stems and leaves, which have high nutritional value. Because it is heat-tolerant and grows rapidly, it is suitable for quick maturing cultivation in summer and autumn. The cultivation techniques for Malabar spinach are introduced as follows:

I. Cultivation Methods

For summer and autumn cultivation, there is no need to sprout the seeds. Broadcasting requires 6-8 kg of seed per mu, with an effective seedling stand of 30,000 plants per mu.

II. Selecting Varieties

It is advisable to choose high-quality, high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties such as red-stem Malabar spinach and green-stem Malabar spinach.

III. Field Management

Management Methods

For those grown mainly for harvesting tender shoots, when the seedlings are about 30 cm tall, keep 3-4 leaves at the base, harvest the tender shoot tips, and keep two vigorous side buds to form shoots. When harvesting the second round of shoots, keep 2-4 side buds to form shoots. During the period of vigorous growth, each plant should have 6-8 vigorous side buds forming shoots. In the middle and later stages, remove flower stems and young buds promptly. In the late stage when growth weakens, keep 1-2 vigorous side shoots to promote leaf enlargement.

For those grown for harvesting leaves, trellising is required. When the seedlings are about 30 cm tall, set up an A-frame trellis and train the vines onto it. In addition to the main vine, keep two vigorous side vines at the base to form the framework vines. When the framework vines reach the top of the trellis, pinch off the growing tips, and after pinching, keep one vigorous side bud from each framework vine. After all leaves on the framework vines have been harvested, cut them down from the trellis. Hill up soil around the plants when trellising and after each harvest. Alternatively, tender shoots can be harvested without pruning or trellising.

2. Cultivation and Weeding

After direct seeding and emergence, and during the growth period, cultivate and weed promptly to prevent weeds from competing for nutrients.

3. Fertilizing and Watering

For base fertilizer, well-rotted farmyard manure or livestock and poultry manure is best. For top dressing, apply decomposed human and livestock manure or urea dissolved in water. After emergence, keep the soil moist and water timely. After each harvest, promptly apply 10 kg of urea as top dressing. In the rainy season, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging.

4. Disease and Pest Control

The common disease of Malabar spinach is brown spot. In the early stage of occurrence, spray 72% Kelu wettable powder at 500-600 times dilution.

If tobacco cutworm damage occurs, indicated by small holes on many tender leaf tips, spray once with a pyrethroid insecticide when the larvae are in the 1st-2nd instar stage.

Continuous cropping of Malabar spinach may also lead to root-knot nematode disease. Implementing crop rotation can reduce or avoid the occurrence of this disease.

IV. Scientific Harvesting

For those grown mainly for tender shoots, when the seedlings are about 30 cm tall, leave 2 true leaves at the base and cut with scissors. When the sprouted side branches have 5-6 true leaves, harvest again in the same way. For those grown mainly for tender leaves, harvest once every 15-20 days in the early stage, every 10-15 days in the middle growth stage, and every 7-10 days in the late stage. The harvested leaves should be fully expanded but not yet old, and thick and fleshy. Generally, the yield of tender shoots is 2000-4000 kg per mu. Cai Shuangwen