Detailed Guide to the Planting Time and Methods of Water Spinach
Water spinach is mainly distributed in the southern regions; in the north, due to climate reasons, it is rarely grown. It is rich in nutrients and also has the effect of cooling the blood and detoxifying, making it a relatively popular vegetable. Below, QinNong Net brings you a detailed guide to the planting methods and time of water spinach. Let's take a look together.
Planting Time
Water spinach favors an environment with ample light, high temperature and high humidity. Its seeds need a temperature above 15°C to germinate, so it is generally planted from April to July. In northern regions, where the temperature is relatively lower, it is generally planted from June to August.
Planting Methods
1. Environmental Requirements
Water spinach is not strict about soil requirements, but it prefers heavy, sticky soil with sufficient fertility. It likes a high-temperature, high-humidity environment and can withstand high temperatures of 35-40°C. Its optimal growth temperature is 25-30°C. It is not tolerant of frost; when frost occurs, the stems and leaves will wither and die. It is not cold-tolerant, and growth stops below 10°C. It likes an environment with relatively high air humidity; if the environment is too dry, the fiber content increases, the stems become thick and old, and the eating quality decreases.
2. Sowing
The seed coat of water spinach is relatively thick and hard. If sown directly, germination will be extremely slow, affecting the planting cycle, and if there is long-term rainy weather, it may cause the seeds to rot. Therefore, before sowing, soak the seeds in 50-60°C warm water for 15-30 minutes. Stir while soaking to avoid scalding the seeds, then soak them in clean water for one day, and then place them in a greenhouse environment to promote germination. During germination promotion, rinse once a day until a large area begins to turn white, at which point they can be sown. They can be broadcast sown or sown in rows, with a seeding rate of about 2 kg per mu. After sowing, cover with a layer of fine soil and water to maintain soil moisture.
3. Field Management
Water spinach has a relatively large demand for fertilizer and water during growth. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer at planting time, once it grows to 5 cm it should be watered and fertilized to let it grow quickly, and afterward it should be watered frequently to keep the soil moist. In addition, fertilizer should also be applied promptly after harvesting, which can allow it to regrow a second time; when fertilizing, nitrogen fertilizer should be the main type. In addition, although water spinach can be planted somewhat densely, if it is too densely planted, it cannot receive light, which may cause rotting.
The above is the planting methods and time of water spinach brought to you by QinNong Net. Water spinach is a vegetable that can be harvested repeatedly, but when harvesting, be careful to leave enough 2-3 nodes at the base of the stem to facilitate the sprouting of new shoots after harvest, as only this can promote high yield.