Key techniques for lily cultivation and management: grow this health-promoting vegetable well

The lily is a perennial plant of the Liliaceae family. Its underground bulb contains large amounts of protein, fructose and pectin substances, and can be eaten fresh, or used to extract starch, make canned goods, or be processed into dried lily, etc. The fresh bulb has effects such as tonifying the middle and boosting qi, nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, and relieving cough and calming asthma. It is a newly emerging health-promoting vegetable variety that sells well on the market and is favored by many consumers. The market price is more than 20 yuan per kilogram, the economic benefits of cultivation are considerable, and the prospects for development are broad.

Lilies have wide adaptability to climate and soil, prefer cool weather, and the aboveground stems are not tolerant of frost but are relatively drought-tolerant. They are not strict about water requirements. The optimum temperature for plant cultivation is 15-20°C, and it is best to choose sandy soil with deep soil layers and good drainage for cultivation. Its bulb grows rapidly, is pure white in color, and has good marketable quality.

1. Land preparation and application of base fertilizer

The planting site should be chosen as sandy loam with good drainage and deep soil layers, and continuous cropping must not be practiced, so as to prevent the occurrence of damping-off disease. Deeply plow the soil layer more than 20 cm and apply sufficient decomposed organic fertilizer.

2. Planting seed bulbs

Lilies mostly use asexual propagation, and 2-3 years after planting they grow into marketable bulbs. Generally, sowing is done when the soil temperature is around 20°C. Before sowing, add 0.5 kg each of copper sulfate and quicklime to 100 kg of water, then place the seed bulbs into the solution and soak for 10-20 hours to kill pathogens and promote rooting. For planting density, the row spacing is 30-40 cm and the plant spacing is 20-30 cm. After the seed bulbs are planted, fill fine soil around them, then apply base fertilizer between the plants. This can avoid direct contact between the fertilizer and the seed bulbs, so as to prevent bulb rot. After sowing, cover with soil to cover the bulbs. To prevent frost damage and maintain moisture, also cover with rice straw or other weeds.

3. Field management

After the seedlings emerge, remove the rice straw, open furrows and apply topdressing; the fertilizer must not touch the bulbs. After the seed bulbs sprout, keep only the strongest sprout and remove the rest, so as to prevent the bulbs from splitting. Between the rows, melons or beans can be planted to provide shade and cooling for the lilies. When the seedlings are 20-25 cm tall, carry out topdressing and intertillage to promote stem and leaf growth, and at the same time earth up to protect exposed scales. At the budding stage, the bulbs enter the expansion period, and at this time apply composted organic fertilizer once. In the later stage, spray the leaves with a mixed solution of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.1% urea to prolong the life of the functional leaves.

When the plant height is about 50 cm, top the plants to inhibit stem and leaf growth and promote bulb expansion. At the same time, remove the flower buds in time to reduce nutrient consumption. In summer high temperatures, the ground should be covered with grass to lower the soil temperature and reduce water evaporation. In drought, irrigate once every 5-7 days, preferably by furrow irrigation, to reduce soil compaction. After rain, drain water to prevent waterlogging.

4. Harvest

Harvesting when the aboveground part of the plant has completely withered and the bulbs are fully mature not only gives high yield, but also makes the product suitable for storage. Generally, the yield per mu can reach more than 1000 kg.

5. Pest and disease control

The main diseases of lilies include damping-off disease and soft rot. Damping-off disease can be controlled with 1000 times diluted Previcur, and soft rot can be controlled with 800 times diluted Carreton. The main pest is white grubs, which can be controlled by drenching the roots with 500 times diluted BT emulsion or 1000 times diluted phoxim.