What are the precautions for planting water chestnuts? Keep these points in mind

Water chestnut, also called Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis), is a perennial aquatic herb that can be harvested for many years. It is often eaten as a fruit, but can also be used as a vegetable. It is very popular, but the only troublesome thing is peeling it, so a "buy and peel on the spot" sales model has appeared on the market. Water chestnut has strong adaptability to the environment and can be planted in many places, but there are still some points to note when planting. So below let us learn about the precautions for planting water chestnuts together.

1. Seeds

The selection of water chestnut seeds is the most basic condition for the yield and quality of water chestnuts, so when choosing water chestnut seeds, we should try our best to choose those water chestnuts that are relatively large, very plump, evenly colored, and relatively smooth on the surface with no damage as seeds for planting. At the same time, before planting, soaking to promote germination is also needed, which can increase the seedling emergence rate and growth speed of the seeds.

2. Soil

Choosing suitable soil for planting is a relatively basic external condition for high yield of water chestnuts. Although water chestnut has strong adaptability to soil, in order to increase yield, it is best to choose black soil with sufficient water sources and convenient irrigation and drainage for planting. The second point is that the pH of the soil should be moderate; it cannot be too acidic and also cannot be alkaline, as this will affect the normal growth of water chestnuts.

3. Time

Water chestnut is a plant that likes warmth, light, and moisture, so its growth requires sufficient water, relatively high temperatures, and sufficient sunlight. Therefore, the planting time is very important. We can sow as early as possible, which can effectively increase its yield. In general, it is best to plant immediately after the early rice harvest. The planting time is generally around July and August, and at the latest it cannot exceed October, otherwise it will seriously affect the planting yield.

4. Density

When planting, there is another point we need to note, which is the planting density. If the planting density is too high, then the yield of water chestnuts will not be high, but if the planting density is too low, the land resources will not be fully utilized. So generally planting is carried out according to a row spacing of 30 to 50 cm and a plant spacing of about 30 to 35 cm. The second point is that when planting, care should also be taken not to plant too deep and also not too shallow. If too deep, it will be difficult to harvest later, while if too shallow, the seedlings are prone to falling over.

5. Water and fertilizer

Water chestnut is an aquatic plant, and its growth cannot be separated from water. Generally, after planting, the water level in the field should be maintained at about 5 to 6 cm, and then as the water chestnut grows, the water level should be gradually deepened, but at the highest it cannot exceed 20 cm, otherwise it is very easy to develop disease and lodging. Finally, one week before harvest, the water in the field should be drained and the field should be sun-dried, which makes harvesting convenient. Water chestnut differs greatly from many crops in planting in that its base fertilizer must be applied in sufficient amount, because basically no topdressing is carried out afterward. So we can apply fertilizer specifically according to the fertility of the soil. Generally, 5,000 jin of organic fertilizer and 50 jin of phosphate fertilizer per mu are enough.

6. Pests and diseases

Water chestnut basically has no pests and diseases. The main things to note are physiological red tail and dry blight. For physiological red tail, the main measure is to strengthen field fertility management, and spraying an appropriate amount of foliar fertilizer can treat it. For dry blight, carbendazim can be used for treatment.