How to Grow Chinese Artichoke: Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques
Chinese artichoke is the underground rhizome of the Lamiaceae plant Stachys affinis, also known as ground silkworm, Chinese artichoke, and earth ginseng. It gets the name "Chinese artichoke" because its shape resembles a screw. Its flesh is thick and plump with a crisp, tender texture, and it can also be candied into preserves. It tastes excellent and is rich in nutrients, and many people are very fond of it. Let's take a look at how to grow it.
1. Land preparation and fertilization
Chinese artichoke has strong environmental adaptability, tolerates cold and resists heat, and generally suffers very few pests and diseases. It likes fertilizer but fears waterlogging, so when planting, it is best to choose fertile, loose sandy soil, preferably in an area with convenient drainage and irrigation. Prepare the land in the previous autumn by plowing it and exposing it to the sun to reduce overwintering sources of pests and diseases. Apply 1500 kg of farmyard manure and 100 kg of other compound fertilizer per mu, then harrow and level the soil finely in early spring of the planting year.
2. Sowing
When planting, choose varieties according to the local climate and soil conditions. Chinese artichoke is propagated from tubers. Once the soil thaws to a depth of 10-15 cm, you can open furrows and sow in holes. The sowing depth should be 5-7 cm, neither too deep nor too shallow, with a plant-to-row spacing of 15×30-45 cm. Sow 1-2 uniformly sized, disease-free, robust tubers per hole, then cover with soil and press down. Generally, keep about 1-1.5 plants per mu, with about 100 kg of seed tubers used.
3. Field management
After the seedlings emerge, carry out intertillage and weeding. First, to loosen the soil and promote rhizome growth; second, to prevent weeds from affecting seedling growth. For weeding, it is recommended to pull them by hand rather than use chemical agents. If planting on a large scale, you can use agents with lower harm. Also cultivate appropriately to prevent the stolons from being exposed. During the tuber enlargement period, stop intertillage to avoid damaging the tubers. In addition, if the plants grow too vigorously, prune appropriately to inhibit their growth.
4. Fertilizer and water management
After applying sufficient base fertilizer, subsequent topdressing should mainly use quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. Generally, apply 10 kg of urea per mu in May-June, and apply it once more in July. Then in August, during the tuber enlargement period, apply heavy enlargement fertilizer. In addition to continuing to apply urea, also apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with 30 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu, to prevent premature aging of the plants and speed up tuber enlargement. Water management is relatively simple: just water during drought, but do not irrigate heavily during the dog days of summer, and drain promptly during the rainy season to prevent waterlogging and root rot.
The above are the growing methods for Chinese artichoke. We hope they help you. To learn more about growing plants, please stay tuned to us.