Detailed Explanation of Artichoke Cultivation Techniques: Master the Method to Grow Artichokes Well
The artichoke is a plant in the Asteraceae family, native to Europe, and is widely cultivated in European and American countries. It was first introduced to China from Italy, which is why it is now found to a certain extent in a few provinces in China such as Hunan and Taiwan, China. The artichoke has various effects such as treating constipation and promoting digestion, and is a vegetable with very high edible value. So how should artichokes be grown? Below, the editor brings you the artichoke cultivation techniques. Let's take a look!
1. Sowing and Seedling Raising
Artichokes are mainly propagated by sowing and raising seedlings, generally sown in spring and autumn, with the number of seeds per mu kept at around 700. However, because the seed coat of the artichoke is relatively hard, we must first do a good job of soaking the seeds before sowing. First, put the seeds into warm water at about 50 degrees and soak for half an hour; during soaking, the seeds must be stirred constantly to ensure the seeds are heated evenly. Then soak them in normal-temperature water for about 13-15 hours; after soaking, take them out, wrap them in a wet cloth, and place them at a temperature of about 22 degrees for germination. Once the seeds gradually show white, sowing can begin; after sowing, do a good job of management. The seedling stage of the artichoke does not exceed two months, and when about 6 true leaves have grown, it can be planted out.
2. Land Preparation and Planting Out
Before planting, the field for planting must be selected well. First, choose flat sandy soil that is deep and fertile, loose and permeable, and free of hollows. Clear away the residues of the previous crop in the soil, do a good job of land preparation, and carry out deep plowing and intertillage, with the deep plowing depth kept at about 22 cm. After land preparation, control the row spacing and make beds, and during land preparation also apply an appropriate amount of base fertilizer according to the soil area. The base fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure. Then, when the average soil temperature is above 13 degrees, planting out can be carried out appropriately. When planting out, control the plant spacing and row spacing well to prevent planting too densely, with a planting depth of about 22 cm, and after planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots.
3. Seedling Management
After planting out, pay attention to observing the growth of the seedlings. After the seedlings recover from transplanting, water them in time to meet the water needs of seedling growth. Then apply additional fertilizer reasonably; when applying additional fertilizer, pay attention to the method, and do not apply it directly to the roots of the plants. Instead, open furrows around the plants and fertilize, to prevent the fertilizer from burning the roots. Control the proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients in the fertilizer well, and do not apply excessively, to prevent fertilizer damage. Then during the rainy season, pay attention to drainage work, and carry out intertillage and weeding in time to prevent weeds from robbing the artichokes of growth nutrients. Around October, water sufficiently for overwintering over those months, and stop watering after the end of November to prepare for overwintering.
4. Overwintering Management
When artichokes overwinter, different overwintering methods should be used according to the planting region. For example, under the temperatures in the north, artichokes cannot overwinter on their own. Therefore, artificial heating methods must be adopted. At the first frost, remove the leaves from the plants. When the temperature drops to about 4 degrees, cut off the middle and upper leaves, keeping only the base. Then earth up in time to raise the soil temperature and prevent the artichokes from suffering cold damage due to excessively low temperatures. Cover the soil with a layer of grain straw, then press on a layer of soil, to make sufficient preparations for northern artichokes to overwinter.
The above is a brief introduction to artichoke cultivation techniques. The cultivation method for artichokes is relatively simple. After overwintering, when the spring temperature gradually rises, promptly remove the covering, pull aside the grain straw, and then do a good job of loosening the soil to raise the soil temperature, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and restore the growth vigor of the artichokes. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.