What are the environmental requirements for growing lotus root? Read this article to understand
Lotus root is an aquatic crop, and mature lotus root is very fragile and easily broken. Lotus root also has great demands on its growing environment, such as temperature, light, and so on. Below I will explain the requirements of lotus root for its surrounding environment from four aspects: temperature, light, water and soil. Let's take a look!
1. Temperature
Lotus root is a temperature-loving crop that is not tolerant of cold or drought. Below 15°C the seed lotus root cannot sprout; the minimum temperature for seed lotus root to sprout is 16°C. During the vigorous growth and development period, lotus root must not be below 20°C or above 30°C, and the water temperature needs to be maintained between 20-25°C, so as to better promote the growth and development of lotus root. In the early stage of root formation, the demand for temperature is relatively high, and higher temperatures favor the swelling of the lotus root. After swelling, the temperature difference between day and night needs to be relatively large, around 20-25°C during the day and around 5-15°C at night. If it is below 5°C, the lotus root will be damaged by freezing.
2. Light
Lotus root is also a light-loving plant. Without light, lotus root growth will decline, the fruit will be small, and it will lose its commercial value. During the growth period of lotus root, light must be fully sufficient, but it does not have to be sunlight. In the early growth stage, sufficient light is beneficial to the development of stems and leaves; during the flowering and maturity stage, meeting the light requirements can help the flowers open and bear fruit, and the lotus root body develop robustly.
3. Water
What lotus root absolutely cannot lack is water. During the seed lotus root sprouting stage, the required water level is 5-10 cm. Entering the vigorous growth and development period of the plant, water needs to be added substantially, up to 0.3-0.5 m. In the later stage of flowering and fruiting, the required water amount gradually decreases again, all the way until the lotus root successfully overwinters. During overwintering, the soil needs to be kept moist or in a shallow-water state. If the water layer is too high, it will cause poor development of the lotus root, and the water level must not be higher than the lotus leaves. If it is higher than the lotus leaves, it can easily cause the lotus leaves to be unable to grow and eventually die.
4. Soil
Lotus root has very strict requirements for the soil environment. The lotus root field must be clay soil rich in organic matter, and the organic matter content must be above 1.5%. The pH value should be neutral, between 6.0-7.5, with 6.5 being the most suitable. The soil should preferably contain a variety of trace elements; the amount mainly depends on the variety, as different varieties require different substances.
The above four are the environmental requirements for growing lotus root compiled by the editor. Of course, there are more than these, for example, wind. In the case of strong winds, the stems and leaves must be protected. Because the lotus root stem is small and the leaves are large, it is easily broken by wind. These are all points that need attention when growing lotus root. Lotus root is a very fragile plant, so it must be well managed in daily care to protect your own interests.