How to grow radicchio? Planting methods and key technical points

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

1. Site selection Before planting radicchio, it is necessary to spray insecticide and clear weeds. Radicchio should preferably be planted on plots with loose soil, convenient drainage and irrigation, no waterlogging, and high soil nutrient content. 2. Fertilizing and ridging Before fertilizing and ridging, shallow plow the land 2 times. In combination with the plowed land, apply 3000-5000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 50 kg of slow-release compound fertilizer, or 30 kg of superphosphate per mu. Level the plot, and once the fertilizer is evenly plowed in, fertilization is complete. After fertilization is completed, begin ridging. A ridge height of about 15 cm and a width of about 35-40 cm is sufficient.

1. Site selection

Before planting radicchio, it is necessary to spray insecticide and clear weeds. Radicchio should preferably be planted on plots with loose soil, convenient drainage and irrigation, no waterlogging, and high soil nutrient content.

2. Fertilizing and ridging

Before fertilizing and ridging, shallow plow the land 2 times. In combination with the plowed land, apply 3000-5000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 50 kg of slow-release compound fertilizer, or 30 kg of superphosphate per mu. Level the plot, and once the fertilizer is evenly plowed in, fertilization is complete. After fertilization is completed, begin ridging. A ridge height of about 15 cm and a width of about 35-40 cm is sufficient.

3. Sowing

The sowing period of radicchio varies slightly depending on the variety. The optimal sowing period is from June to mid-to-late July, so that the seedling stage avoids the high-temperature period; sowing too early or too late will affect the yield of the chicons. Prepare the substrate using the standard formulation of urea and monopotassium phosphate, mix thoroughly, fill trays, water thoroughly, then sow at intervals, cover with soil and film, and remove the film promptly once the seedlings emerge from the soil.

4. Transplanting

Seedlings can be transplanted when they have 3-5 leaves. The row spacing varies by variety. For early-maturing varieties, the transplanting spacing is about 35*35 cm, and for mid-to-late-maturing varieties about 40*40 cm.

5. Field management

If the weather is dry after emergence, water several times in succession, but do not flood the seedlings. Stop watering once the water reaches the ridge surface, and water again after the ridge surface dries for a few days. About 20 days after emergence, apply nitrogen fertilizer 1-2 times as needed according to seedling growth, and apply compound fertilizer once before the plants close the rows. After sowing, once the fleshy roots have formed (about 90 days), spray with monopotassium phosphate 1-2 times and keep the soil moist to facilitate the subsequent storage and blanching cultivation.

Growing radicchio may seem complicated, but in fact it has strong adaptability to soil, although soil that is too acidic is still unfavorable for its growth, so it is best to choose a plot with loose soil and high nutrient content. Radicchio is not particular about soil but has relatively high temperature requirements. When the temperature is low, the chicons form very slowly; when the temperature is high, the chicons grow quickly but are not compact and tend to loosen. So in which seasons can radicchio be cultivated?

Cultivation seasons for radicchio

1. In summer, it can be planted in cool regions, for example in high mountain areas above 300 m.

2. For autumn cultivation, in the Beijing area sowing is generally in June, transplanting in mid-to-late July, and harvesting can begin successively in October.

3. In winter, it can be grown in solar greenhouses, sown in August, transplanted in September, and harvested around the Spring Festival.

From the above description, I believe everyone has now understood the planting methods for radicchio. Although there are many figures in the planting methods, which may seem somewhat dry to many people, it would be wonderful if this article could help everyone understand the planting methods for radicchio.

Practical cultivation techniques for heading radicchio

    Heading radicchio is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Cichorium in the Asteraceae family. It originated along the Mediterranean coast, in Central Asia, and in North Africa. It is widely grown in European and American countries. It is brightly colored and nutrient-rich, and its taste is much more bitter than that of blanched chicory.

    Heading radicchio is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable and prefers a cool, humid climate. Its product is a red leaf head. The yield of heading radicchio is generally 1000-2000 kg per mu, with a single head weighing 0.25-0.5 kg, and a maximum of up to 2 kg.

    During the growth period of heading radicchio, the seedling stage to the rosette stage requires relatively high temperatures to facilitate emergence and rapid growth; the heading stage requires a larger temperature difference, a lower night temperature (below 15°C), and short but strong sunlight. During the heading stage, high temperatures (average daily temperature above 23°C), especially high night temperatures (above 20°C), very easily cause bolting and flowering, and also affect the color of the leaf head. Therefore, heading radicchio is suitable for planting in summer and autumn. When planted in winter, the heads are smaller and the yield is low due to the influence of temperature. Spring planting can obtain a certain yield, but if planted improperly, some plants will bolt.

    I. Cultivation seasons and cultivation methods

    1. Open-field cultivation in autumn: Open-field cultivation in autumn is the main cultivation method for heading radicchio. Early- and mid-maturing varieties such as Qiuri and Indio are selected. In North China, sowing is generally in mid-July, full planting in mid-August, and harvesting begins successively in October. If sown too early, heading occurs early, and because of the high temperature, the leaf head color is often not red. The heading stage should be kept from late September to October.

    2. Solar greenhouse cultivation in winter: sow in August, transplant in September, and harvest in January-February of the following year.

    II. Cultivation techniques

    1. Land preparation, fertilization, and bed making: Choose loam with loose soil and rich organic matter content. Protected land that has been used for growing vegetables for many years requires more application of straw, cow manure, etc., to reduce salt damage. Heading radicchio has a moderate fertilizer requirement. Per mu, apply 2000-4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 50 kg of superphosphate, mix evenly with the soil, level the ground, and make flat beds 1.3 m wide and 8-10 m long.

    2. Raising seedlings: According to different cultivation seasons, use different facilities and methods for raising seedlings, ensuring a daytime temperature of 24°C-28°C and a nighttime temperature above 15°C. Generally, seedlings emerge about 4 days after sowing and become seedlings in about 30 days. The seeding rate is about 20 g per mu.

    3. Transplanting: Seedlings can be transplanted when they have 5-7 leaves. The transplanting spacing varies according to variety and cultivation season. For early-maturing varieties, the transplanting spacing is 33 cm square, and for mid-to-late-maturing varieties, 40 cm square. When planting in autumn, because conditions are suitable and the plants are robust, they should be appropriately spaced more thinly.

    4. Management after transplanting: Open-field cultivation in autumn is relatively simple to manage. After transplanting, water with transplanting water; after 5-7 days, water with recovering water; after the recovering water, cultivate and weed once; to promote leaf growth during the rosette stage, appropriately apply nitrogen fertilizer once, with 10 kg of urea per mu; during the heading stage, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and depending on weather conditions, water and fertilize once about every 10 days, applying 10-15 kg of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer per mu each time; in the later stage, nitrogen and potassium topdressing should be applied at a ratio of 1:2.

    5. Harvest: Early-maturing varieties are generally harvested 60 days after transplanting, once the leaf heads are firm. Harvesting too early results in looser leaf heads, failure to meet commercial requirements, and reduced yield; delaying harvest can cause head rot or bolting and loss of marketability.

    III. Storage

    Heading radicchio can be stored for 1-2 months at a temperature of 0°C and a relative humidity of 90%-100%. Wrapping each leaf head in paper and placing them in a basket can extend the storage period, or you can place a layer of paper and a layer of leaf heads in the basket. During storage, inspect and clean once every 15 days, and promptly remove any rotten leaves or rotten heads.