A Detailed Guide to the Planting Time and Cultivation Methods of Fiddlehead Fern

Fiddlehead fern was once a wild plant, one of what people call wild vegetables, but now that its nutritional value has been discovered, and with today's advocacy of green and environmentally friendly food, fiddlehead fern is loved by more and more people, and there has even been a phenomenon of large-scale cultivation of fiddlehead fern. Today let us learn together how fiddlehead fern is grown and when it is suitable to plant it.

Planting Time

Fiddlehead fern is a fairly popular seasonal vegetable nowadays. In fact, fiddlehead fern can be planted all year round, except that yields are usually very low at other times, so generally no one grows it then. The best time to plant fiddlehead fern is every spring and autumn, that is, the periods of March and April and September each year. Fiddlehead fern planted in spring is generally harvested in June and July each year, while fiddlehead fern planted in September generally begins to be harvested from November and December, and can be harvested again in June and July each year. Generally, fiddlehead fern can be harvested for ten to twenty years.

Planting Methods

1. Site Selection and Land Preparation

Fiddlehead fern is relatively suited to growing in acidic soil, so we generally choose relatively flat mountain land with a relatively thick soil layer and loose, fertile soil for planting fiddlehead fern. When preparing the land, we try to plow the soil deeply, then break the soil up finely, and finally make ridges and open furrows, which is good for water diversion and drainage and irrigation later on. When preparing the land, we should also pay attention to applying base fertilizer well, generally applying compound fertilizer and farmyard manure.

2. Planting

There are two ways to plant. The first is sexual reproduction, that is, collecting fiddlehead fern seeds, then sowing and raising seedlings, and finally transplanting. The second way is asexual reproduction, that is, wild fiddlehead fern or fiddlehead fern grown by others will grow new seedlings every spring and autumn, and at this time the new seedlings can be moved out together with their roots, and then planted at a certain spacing (generally 60-70 cm between each plant). In our everyday planting, the asexual reproduction planting method is the one most commonly used.

3. Field Management

After fiddlehead fern is planted, if there is no rain and the soil is relatively dry, the fiddlehead fern must be watered, generally once every three days. During the growth period of fiddlehead fern, intertillage, weeding and fertilizing must be carried out frequently. The amount of fertilizer applied each time should not be very large; a small topdressing at each weeding is enough. Around Qingming there is relatively more rain, so during that period attention should be paid to draining water in the field to avoid root rot of fiddlehead fern caused by too much water. After each harvest, fertilizer can be applied once, which can promote the growth of new fiddlehead fern. Finally, when winter comes each year, a layer of infusion liquid or straw should be spread over the fiddlehead fern, which can play a role in keeping it warm and at the same time promote the growth of seedlings. Field management each year should be done as carefully as possible, which can extend the service life of the fiddlehead fern.

4. Harvesting

When fiddlehead fern seedlings grow to twenty to forty cm, the first harvest can be carried out. When harvesting, note that you cannot harvest all of them; generally about two-thirds are harvested. Fertilize after harvesting. According to the normal growth rate of fiddlehead fern, after about another ten days or so it can be harvested again, and it can be harvested three to four times a year.

The above is an introduction to the planting time and methods of fiddlehead fern. We hope it can be helpful to everyone. If you are very interested in agricultural knowledge, you can follow us at Qinnong Net.