Detailed explanation of high-efficiency cultivation techniques for Hailing deep-water celery

Hailing deep-water celery is a local specialty agricultural product of Taizhou City. It has been cultivated in Hailing District for 50 years. Its tender stems and leaf stalks are used for food. It is greenish-white in appearance and is a fragrant, delicious, nutritious and healthful vegetable. It fills the gap in the winter vegetable market in the central Jiangsu region and is deeply welcomed by consumers. The yield is generally 8000 kg per 667 sq m, with an output value of 5000-10000 yuan.

1 Seed reservation preparation

Reserve 20 kg of mother seed per 667 sq m of field in spring. After two propagations in spring and summer, about 450 kg of seed is actually used per 667 sq m of field in autumn.

The first propagation of mother seed is transplanted before Qingming, with a plant spacing of 23 cm and a row spacing of 25 cm, with 2-3 roots per hole. The second propagation starts with lifting seedlings in mid-to-late June, followed by horizontal seed arrangement. The ratio of the second seed propagation field to the autumn field is 1:(6-7).

Sprouting is generally carried out at the end of August or the beginning of September in a cool place around the celery pond. First spread a layer of rice straw on the ground of the sprouting site. After washing the seedlings clean, remove the tail tips and tie them into bundles of about 2.5 kg. Place them in double rows with the roots facing outward, stacking them layer upon layer in a crossed manner, 4-5 layers high. After stacking, cover with a layer of rice straw to shade and retain moisture. Water thoroughly twice a day in the cool morning and evening. The sprouting period is 3-5 days. During this period, turn the pile once as needed, rinse to remove rotten leaves, change positions and restack so that the sprouts are uniform. When the axillary buds grow to 2-3 cm, they are ready.

2 Field preparation

For the field, it is advisable to choose slightly acidic soil with organic matter above 2%, a silt layer of about 25 cm, strong water and fertilizer retention capacity, good drainage conditions, no surrounding environmental pollution, and field ridges around it no lower than 1 m in height and without leaks.

Apply 7000-8000 kg of decomposed chicken manure water or 150 kg of cake fertilizer per 667 sq m, together with 60-70 kg of high-quality 45% compound fertilizer. Be careful to mix evenly.

Before land preparation, clear weeds and debris from the field. After deep ploughing for 25 cm in shallow water, apply base fertilizer, and repeatedly plough and harrow until the field surface is smooth, level, soft and well decomposed. If the field block is too large, open irrigation and drainage ditches according to a bed width of 3-4 m, and keep the ditches full of water pending seed arrangement.

3 Careful seed arrangement

Seed arrangement should preferably be carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening on a sunny day. Before seed arrangement, first irrigate a very shallow water layer to facilitate field operations.

The order of seed arrangement is first the surroundings, then the middle. When arranging seeds around the edges, place the base of the seed stems toward the bed edge. In the middle of the bed, spread them in strips with a spacing of 5-6 cm, and try to minimize crossing and overlapping. While arranging seeds, move backward as you go, smooth out footprints, and try to make the seed stems fully contact the surface floating soil to facilitate rooting.

After seed arrangement, if there are uneven areas, carefully even out the seedlings with a bamboo pole.

4 Field management

Topdressing should combine organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer. When the base fertilizer is sufficient, generally topdress 4-5 times, starting from the 2-3 leaf stage of the seedlings (after draining the field and reflooding), with topdressing about once every 10 days. For the first topdressing, apply 2500 kg of dilute manure water per 667 sq m, or 50 kg of cake fertilizer, or about 15 kg each of urea and 45% compound fertilizer. After that, apply 10 kg each of ternary compound fertilizer and urea each time. After winter begins, the celery stops growing and topdressing is no longer carried out. When the temperature rises, foliar topdressing may be carried out appropriately to improve marketability.

After seed arrangement, maintain half-ditch water so that the bed surface is moist but without standing water, to prevent bud rot. During continuous sunny weather with temperatures >=30°C, irrigate with shallow water in the evening and drain in the morning to avoid scalding the buds due to excessively high water temperature. When most mother stems have axillary buds rooting and unfolding leaves, actively drain the water and allow soft field drying for 2-3 days, preferably until fine cracks appear on the surface soil, to promote downward root growth. After field drying, irrigate shallow water to promote seedling growth. Later, as the seedlings continue to grow, gradually deepen the water layer, keeping about 20 cm of the plants above the water surface. After winter begins, if a cold wave occurs, irrigate deep water in advance to prevent freezing (half of the plants showing tips is sufficient). When ice forms in severe winter, flooding irrigation should be the main method.

The main pests of water celery at the seedling stage are aphids and cotton leafworms, which can be controlled by spraying 2000-fold dilution of 10% imidacloprid. During long periods of continuous rain, 600-fold dilution of 75% chlorothalonil can be sprayed to prevent leaf blight. Under normal conditions, disease prevention is unnecessary. During the seedling stage, duckweed and similar plants should be removed promptly.

5 Harvest

The whole growth period of Hailing deep-water celery under autumn-winter cultivation is 120-180 days. Around New Year's Day, when the plant height reaches about 90 cm, it can be harvested and marketed, until the end of late February of the following year.