How to Grow Water Dropwort Well? A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
Water dropwort, commonly known as water celery, is a perennial herbaceous plant. Many people think water dropwort is the same as wild celery, but that is not actually the case. Apart from their similar appearance, they are not the same plant. Water dropwort is a vegetable that serves both as food and medicine, with a very fresh and delicious taste, and it is becoming increasingly popular in the market. So how is water dropwort grown? Below, let us learn about the planting methods for water dropwort together.
1. Field Selection and Preparation
Water dropwort prefers moist and fertile conditions and is tolerant of waterlogging and cold. Wild water dropwort generally grows in low-lying wet areas, shallow marshes and similar places. For field cultivation, we need to choose a location with convenient irrigation, and it is best if the field has previously been used to grow rice, as the soil fertility will be relatively sufficient. We usually choose to prepare the land around May, and carry out land preparation together with fertilization. The base fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure and decomposed stable manure. There should be a certain area of shade near the planting site, or a shade shed can be built artificially. Finally, plow the field deeply and make it into beds about one meter wide with a path between them, then rake the soil surface flat and wait for sowing.
2. Sowing Methods
For water dropwort seeds, we should choose heat-tolerant Changshu varieties. The sowing methods for water dropwort are usually the seed soaking and germination method and the direct dry sowing method. For dry sowing, before sowing we only need to water the soil thoroughly, then sprinkle a layer of fine soil, evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface, and finally cover with another layer of fine soil. For soaking and germination sowing, the seeds need to be soaked first and placed in a suitable environment for germination, which can improve the emergence rate of water dropwort. After sowing water dropwort, we should water appropriately, and wait until the water dropwort emerges. When the seedlings grow to about five cm, we can release a suitable amount of shallow water into the field for cultivation.
3. Reasonable Close Planting
When water dropwort grows to about fifteen cm, it can be transplanted. Water dropwort transplanting is generally done by thinning, with a row spacing of twenty-five to thirty cm and a plant spacing of fifteen to twenty cm, keeping three strong seedlings per clump during thinning and transplanting. After transplanting, the field needs to be dried appropriately. Once the plants have established, water should be let into the field again, and the water level should be appropriately deepened.
4. Field Management
During the growth of water dropwort, we need to manage water reasonably, fertilize scientifically, and carry out intertillage and weeding when necessary. Generally, when water is let into the field, the field needs to be dried, then water is released appropriately, and the water level is raised or lowered according to the growth of the water dropwort. Since water dropwort is mainly grown to promote the growth of its stems and leaves and to maintain a fresh and tender taste, when fertilizing we usually use nitrogen fertilizer as the main type, combined with potassium fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer and boron fertilizer for topdressing, which can ensure the growth and quality of water dropwort. Finally, water dropwort can reproduce continuously, so we must harvest it in time, otherwise it will affect the yield of water dropwort and the quality in the later period.
The above are the planting methods for water dropwort. In fact, its planting methods are very similar to those for wild celery, because the environments suitable for their growth are basically the same, which is why many people cannot tell water dropwort and wild celery apart. That is all for today's sharing. I hope it can help everyone. If you have other questions to ask, remember to leave a message for me.