A Detailed Guide to the Planting Time and Methods of Malabar Spinach
When it comes to Malabar spinach, we may not be particularly familiar with it. Malabar spinach is a relatively rare vegetable with extremely rich nutritional value. It is very smooth, tender and refreshing, and many people like it very much. However, because relatively few people cultivate it, it is not often seen on the market. So when is the planting time for Malabar spinach? And how should it be planted? Let us learn about it together with Qinnong Net below.
Planting Time
The planting time of Malabar spinach has a great deal to do with temperature. It is most suitable for growing in an environment above 20 degrees and below 30 degrees, so it is generally sown around April each year. Of course, August and September in autumn also work, as the temperature at that time is still relatively suitable for the growth of Malabar spinach. You can plant it seasonally according to the year-round temperature in your area.
Planting Methods
1. Fertilizing and Land Preparation
Malabar spinach is a vegetable that is relatively afraid of cold, so its adaptability to high temperatures is quite good. It is generally more suitable for planting in loose sandy soil. Malabar spinach needs sufficient water throughout its entire growth process, so when choosing a site, pay attention to having a good irrigation and drainage system. When preparing the land, special attention should be paid to applying a sufficient amount of farmyard manure as base fertilizer. At the same time, deep plowing and deep planting are required. After turning the soil over, beds should be made. Generally, making the beds about 1 m wide is enough. When making the beds, prepare the field ditches used for irrigation and drainage so that they can be used directly when the time comes.
2. Seed Treatment
Before sowing, the seeds must be soaked, because the seed coat of Malabar spinach is relatively hard. If simply sown directly, it may not sprout for a very long time. When soaking the seeds, pay attention to the water temperature and time. First soak them in water at about 50 degrees for half an hour, then soak them in water at about 30 degrees for five to six hours. Finally, remove the seeds and place them in a warmer place to promote sprouting. Generally after three to four days, the white sprouts will appear, and then they can be sown.
3. Sowing and Planting Out
There are two sowing methods. The first is to simply scatter the seeds on the bed at a spacing of 40 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants. The second is to first sow the seeds to raise seedlings, and when the seedlings grow three to four leaves, transplant them. The distance between each plant and each row is also 40 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants.
4. Field Management
After planting out, if there is no rain, water once every three days. After it grows new roots, carry out the first fertilization. If it rains after transplanting, you can take advantage of the rain to apply some urea, which can promote its growth. Each time Malabar spinach grows taller for a period, it can be harvested once. After harvesting, fertilization should be carried out once to help it quickly grow new leaves and branches.
5. Disease Prevention
The main diseases of Malabar spinach are brown spot disease and gray mold. Brown spot disease mainly harms the leaves, causing brown spots to appear on the leaf surface, and in severe cases the whole plant withers. Gray mold, on the other hand, has water-soaked light green spots, and the diseased stems easily break, fall over and rot. We generally spray once every five to seven days with a 600-fold dilution of 72% Kelu wettable powder, or a 600-fold dilution of 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder, or a 1000-fold dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for control. Doing this continuously two to three times basically takes care of it.
Through the above introduction, we now know when Malabar spinach begins to be planted and how to plant Malabar spinach. If you want to understand more knowledge about Malabar spinach, come and take a look at our Qinnong Net.