Key Field Management Techniques for Dandelion Cultivation
When people talk about dandelion, what surely comes to mind is a kind of wild weed, but the nutritional value of dandelion is very high. Dandelion is rich in vitamins, and its content of trace elements such as iron and calcium is not low either. It can be used for stir-frying, brewing tea, making soup and various other purposes; it is a plant that serves both as food and medicine. The area now planted with dandelion is also expanding, so how should dandelion be managed when grown? Let's take a look together below!
1. Water management
During the period from sowing to emergence, the soil must be kept in a moist state. If the soil moisture content is insufficient, you can cover the soil with a layer of grass material, then water lightly to improve the soil's water-holding capacity. After the dandelion seeds have successfully germinated and emerged, the amount of watering must be controlled to promote the growth capacity of the seedlings and reduce phenomena such as excessive spindly growth and lodging. During the period of rapid plant growth, the soil must also be kept moist to promote leaf growth and photosynthesis.
2. Cultivation and weeding
Cultivation and weeding is a relatively important task in the process of growing dandelion. Within 8-12 days after the dandelion seeds emerge, one round of cultivation and weeding must be carried out. After that, cultivation should be done at the right time about every 10 days according to field conditions, until the plants close the rows. The purpose of cultivation is to improve the soil's nutrient uptake and enhance permeability. Weeding is to prevent weeds from competing with dandelion for nutrients and water, which would hinder dandelion growth.
3. Thinning and final spacing
After the dandelion emerges, seedling inspection must be done well; when weak or dead dandelion seedlings are found, remove them promptly and replant immediately to ensure the final yield of dandelion. When the first cultivation and weeding is carried out, thin the seedlings appropriately and increase the planting density of the seedlings, with a spacing of about 4 cm between each plant. Then after about one month, final spacing can begin, appropriately increasing the seedling spacing by about 5 cm to give dandelion more growing space and promote growth and development.
4. Timely topdressing
Although dandelion has strong adaptability, it must be topdressed at least twice during its growth process to ensure it has sufficient nutrients for growth and development. If planting in autumn, then after winter begins, apply an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer and superphosphate in the field. This not only completes the topdressing work, but can also raise the soil temperature and help the roots overwinter successfully. After spring arrives, apply chemical fertilizer appropriately by the water application method to prevent burning the roots.
5. Timely harvesting
When harvesting, note that you should try not to harvest the leaves of the young plants from the year of sowing; delay harvesting the leaves of young plants until the second year. After a year of growth, the quality and yield of the plants can be effectively improved. The main edible part of dandelion is the leaves. When harvesting, you can use a small knife to cut off the outer leaves; you can harvest all at once, or harvest about once every 3 weeks.
The above is a brief introduction to the field management methods for dandelion cultivation. Growing dandelion is actually relatively simple. The seeds are also very easy to obtain, but the difficulty lies in how to manage it. The somewhat easier part is the prevention and control of pests and diseases, because dandelion has very strong disease resistance, so it can be relaxed appropriately. The main tasks are watering and fertilizing, and I hope everyone can take them seriously. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can be of some help to everyone!