How to grow thistle? Planting methods and key technical points
Thistle is another name for Cirsium setosum, a very common wild vegetable that belongs to the herbaceous plants. Thistle has good effects such as stopping bleeding and dispersing blood stasis, reducing swelling and removing toxins. Originally, thistle could be found everywhere in rural areas, but as its nutritional value was discovered, wild varieties were picked without restraint. As a result, artificial cultivation is now needed to meet market demand. So how should thistle be grown? Below, the editor brings you the planting methods for thistle. Let's take a look!
1. Site selection and land preparation
Thistle has very strong adaptability. Given a certain amount of time, it can grow and reproduce quickly in most soils. However, the purpose of artificial cultivation is high yield and high quality, so when choosing soil, make sure the soil is fertile, has sufficient water, strong permeability, and no history of disease occurrence. After selecting the site, do a good job of land preparation, plow and disinfect the land, reduce pathogens in the soil, and lower the incidence of disease during the planting process. Pay attention to the soil pH. Thistle is suitable for growing in slightly acidic soil. If the soil pH is not suitable, properly neutralize the soil acidity and alkalinity.
2. Timely planting
The planting method for thistle mostly uses seed propagation. Usually in mid-June each year, the flower buds of thistle begin to wither. At this time, we should pick the withered flower buds, then dry them in the sun, remove the moisture, and use them as seeds. The sowing time for thistle is around the Beginning of Spring each year. When planting, pay attention to the planting density. According to the plant size of thistle, the planting spacing is about 20*20 cm. Before planting, the seeds should be dressed. After seed dressing, sow the seeds and then cover with soil. It is best if the seeds cannot be seen. After sowing, water thoroughly to settle the roots, keep the soil moist, and promote seed germination and emergence.
3. Field management
After thistle seeds germinate and emerge, check the seedlings in time. If weak or dead seedlings are found, pull them out, then immediately replant to ensure yield. The number of seedlings per planting hole for thistle must not exceed 4, otherwise it will have a certain impact on the growth of thistle. During the growth process, observe the growth of thistle and the condition of the soil, and topdress and water in time. Also remove weeds in the field in time. Although thistle has strong growth ability, weeds will also compete for thistle's nutrients, leading to nutrient deficiency and hindered growth. When topdressing, farmyard manure can be used, but it must be fully decomposed, otherwise the fertilizer heat will be too high and burn thistle's root system.
4. Disease control
All plants will develop diseases, and thistle certainly does too. The main diseases of thistle include rust disease and gray leaf spot. These diseases all harm thistle's leaves, causing thistle's photosynthetic capacity to decline, making photosynthesis impossible, and resulting in insufficient accumulation of photosynthetic substances. This affects quality, so when planting, we must do a good job of prevention and disinfection. Regularly disinfect the thistle field, take response measures for various adverse weather conditions, strengthen field management, and ensure that thistle has a normal growing environment for development.
The above is a brief introduction to thistle planting methods. At present, the planting area of thistle is not very large, and it is still in a testing stage. Although thistle has high nutritional value, it has not yet been fully popularized. However, it is believed that the thistle market will become larger and larger, and the economic benefits of planting will also increase. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. If you want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!