How much is a jin of lotus seeds? Detailed explanation of planting methods
Lotus is the thick underground stem of the lotus plant in the Nymphaeaceae family, also known as Rongyujie, Yulinglong, Yubilong, etc. It has extremely high cultivation value. Our country cultivated it as early as more than 3,000 years ago, and carbonized ancient lotus seeds have been found in both Liaoning and Zhejiang today, showing how long its history is. Let us take a look together at lotus seed prices and planting methods below!
How much do lotus seeds cost?
The price of lotus seeds is about 20 to 30 yuan per jin. Prices vary greatly depending on variety, place of origin, quality, etc., but production is mostly based on asexual propagation, such as daughter lotus propagation and terminal bud propagation. Lotus is commonly cultivated throughout our country and is suitable for growing in hot and rainy seasons. South of the Yangtze River, it is mostly planted from March to early April, while in the Beijing area it is mostly planted in early May. Its cultivated types can be divided into three major categories: lotus for rhizomes, lotus for seeds, and lotus for flowers. Among them, flower lotus belongs to aquatic ornamental flowers, while rhizome lotus and seed lotus belong to aquatic vegetables.
Cultivation conditions for lotus
1. Temperature: Lotus seeds can only germinate when the temperature is above 15°C. During the vigorous growth period, the required temperature is 20 to 30°C, and the water temperature is 21 to 25°C. In the early stage of rhizome formation, the required temperature is also relatively high, while in the later stage a relatively large day-night temperature difference is required. During the dormant period, it should be kept above 5°C; below 5°C it is prone to freezing damage.
2. Light: Lotus is a light-loving plant and is not tolerant of shade. During the growth period, it requires sufficient light. It is not strict about day length. Sufficient light in the early stage is beneficial to the growth of stems and leaves, while sufficient light in the later stage is beneficial to flowering, fruiting, and the plumpness of the rhizome.
3. Water: During the sprouting and growth stage of lotus, a water level of 5 to 10 cm is appropriate. During the vigorous growth stage, a water level of 30 to 50 cm is required. Later, as the plant flowers, fruits, and forms rhizomes, the water level should gradually become shallower. For overwintering dormancy, it is only necessary to keep the soil fully moist or maintain shallow water.
4. Soil: Lotus grows best in loam and clay loam rich in organic matter. The organic matter content should be at least above 1.5%. The soil pH requirement is between 5.6 and 7.5, with 6.5 being the most suitable. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should all be given equal importance.
Propagation methods for lotus
1. Seed propagation: Lotus seeds are covered with a hard shell. First, break the recessed end of the shell, then soak it in water at 26 to 30°C to promote germination. After the sprout grows, it still needs to be kept in water to prevent dehydration and shrinking. When it grows to 4 leaves and 1 runner, it can be transplanted to the field.
2. Whole lotus propagation: Whole lotus propagation means planting the entire main lotus together with daughter lotus and granddaughter lotus at a certain row and plant spacing, inserting the top end into the mud, leaving the tail tip exposed above the mud surface, and inserting it diagonally.
3. Daughter lotus propagation: Daughter lotus refers to the side branches branching from the main end. Daughter lotus may have one node, two nodes, or even four nodes, which is related to the position where the daughter lotus grows on the main lotus. However, regardless of which node it is, it can be cut off and used alone as a lotus seed for propagation.
4. Lotus head propagation: Lotus head propagation means cutting off the top node of the main lotus as seed, or cutting off the top node lotus head of a daughter lotus as seed.
5. Lotus node propagation: Lotus node propagation means cutting a 5 to 6 cm section from a node as seed. This uses the axillary buds on the lotus node for propagation.
6. Terminal bud propagation: Terminal bud propagation means cutting off the terminal bud of the main lotus or daughter lotus together with the basal node and inserting it into a soft mud seedbed for propagation.
7. Lotus runner cuttings: After the buds on the lotus extend into lotus runners and grow to branches, dig up two complete lotus runner nodes with terminal buds and transplant them into the field.
Planting methods for lotus
1. Select good varieties: For seed lotus, choose shallow-layer lotus varieties that are free of injury and disease, have good varietal characteristics, are large in size, have complete heads, complete tail tips, complete terminal buds and lateral buds, thick and plump nodes, and are early-maturing and high-yielding, and try to make them uniform in size.
2. Fertilize and prepare the field: It is better to choose fertile fields with relatively deep mud layers, convenient drainage and irrigation, and where rice was planted the previous year for planting lotus. Fifteen days before planting lotus, apply 2000 to 3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 150 kg of cake fertilizer, 70 kg of superphosphate, and 80 kg of quicklime per mu.
3. Planting time: Choose a sunny afternoon and first arrange the lotus seeds in the field according to the required row and plant spacing, then dig trenches by hand according to the size of the lotus body and plant them. The front end of the seed lotus should slant downward, and the rear end should be slightly exposed above the soil surface, which helps receive light and air and promotes germination.
4. Planting method: The depth into the mud should be such that the mud covers the lotus body and lotus buds. When planting near the field ridges around the perimeter, be careful that all lotus heads face toward the center of the field. When the field is level and the mud is softened, open trenches or pits for planting.
5. Weeding and leaf removal: About one month after lotus planting, when the floating leaves gradually wither, remove the dead leaves. Before the rows close, weed together with topdressing. When weeding, walk on both sides of the curled leaves. When flower buds appear or flowers bloom, often bend the flower stems but do not break them off.
6. Reasonable topdressing: When there are 3 to 5 standing leaves, apply 25 to 30 kg per mu of high-nitrogen and phosphorus compound fertilizer. When standing leaves fill the field, apply 30 to 35 kg per mu of high-nitrogen and potassium compound fertilizer. When the terminal leaves appear, apply 15 to 20 kg per mu of high-potassium compound fertilizer or 10 to 15 kg of pure potassium fertilizer.
7. Adjust the water level: From planting to before sprouting, irrigate with shallow water of about 5 to 10 cm for lotus to increase soil temperature and help emergence. As standing leaves and branches grow, gradually deepen the water layer to 15 to 20 cm. During the rhizome formation period and before harvest, it is suitable to irrigate with shallow water.
8. Straighten lotus heads: In June, lotus vines grow rapidly in all directions and need artificial vine management. At noon, dig open the mud, lift the lotus vines, turn and direct them toward empty ground, and then bury them back into the soil.
9. Mature harvest: When most of the aboveground standing leaves have withered and yellowed and the lotus has fully matured, it can be harvested successively. Lotus harvest can be divided into green lotus and withered lotus. Green lotus is mostly harvested in August, while withered lotus is harvested from after the beginning of autumn to March to April of the following year.