A Detailed Guide to Ercai Planting Techniques and Field Management Methods
Ercai is a type of mustard greens, also known as baozi jie (baby mustard). During the seedling growth stage of ercai, buds continuously form and swell in the leaf axils of the plant, and these are also the main edible parts of ercai. Ercai is very rich in nutrients, with tender and delicious flesh and a sweet, fresh taste, and it can be eaten in all kinds of ways, making it very popular in China. So how do you grow ercai? Below, the editor brings you the planting techniques for ercai, let's take a look!
1. Preparing the Seedbed
The seedling bed for ercai should be chosen in a shaded place, paying attention to soil quality, ensuring the soil is deep, loose and soft, with normal drainage and irrigation and no pests or diseases. Then, before planting, deep-plow and disinfect it, and the soil pH should be kept at around 6-7, so when the soil pH is unsuitable, appropriate amounts of quicklime should be sprinkled to adjust it. However, be careful not to apply too much, to prevent the soil from becoming compacted and poor, which is not conducive to the growth of ercai. Then apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly decomposed farmyard manure and trace elements, mix the base fertilizer thoroughly with the soil, then level and finely rake it for later use.
2. Sowing and Raising Seedlings
Ercai has relatively strong heat tolerance and a relatively long growth cycle, so the sowing time can be appropriately advanced, mainly depending on the growing region. For example, in the southwestern region, sowing around late August is more suitable; sowing too early leads to a high probability of pests and diseases, while sowing too late affects the growth of ercai and reduces yield. When sowing, pay attention to the sowing density; do not sow too densely, to prevent the ercai seedlings from being thin and weak, which affects yield. Because ercai seeds are relatively small, sowing should be thorough and even, and after sowing, cover with a shade net to prevent sun exposure and rain. Keep the soil moist, thin the seedlings when 2 true leaves have grown, then thin again at 3 leaves, to ensure healthy seedling growth.
3. Timely Transplanting
After the seedlings break through the soil, do a good job of seedling management, water and topdress in a timely manner, and control the temperature well to prevent high-temperature damage to the seedlings, which affects growth. Then, when the seedlings grow to about 5 true leaves and the seedling age reaches about one month, they can be transplanted and established. When transplanting, pay attention to the weather; do not do it on rainy days, and try to transplant on sunny or cloudy days. When transplanting, be careful to transplant with soil, to prevent a lack of water at the roots from affecting seedling growth. When transplanting, also pay attention to the transplanting density, and the transplanting field should also be given sufficient base fertilizer to meet the nutrients needed for ercai growth.
4. Field Management
Ercai has a very large demand for nutrients throughout its entire growth period, so when planting, not only should sufficient base fertilizer be applied, but timely topdressing should also be done according to actual conditions. Topdress appropriately after ercai is established, during the leaf growth period and during the stem-swelling period; the number of topdressings should be kept at around 4 times, and pay attention to the amount, not applying too much, to prevent fertilizer damage to ercai. Also pay attention to reasonable watering; while keeping the soil moist and meeting the water needs of ercai growth, also avoid too much water causing waterlogging and root rot, which affects the growth of ercai.
When planting, also pay attention to doing the basic work well, such as intertillage and weeding, and pest and disease control; these management tasks are indispensable in planting. They are also very important for the growth of ercai, so everyone must be sure to do these basic and important management tasks well when planting. That's all for today's introduction; this article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!