What are the key points to note when growing arrowhead?

Arrowhead, also called scissors grass, is a perennial aquatic herbaceous plant in the family Alismataceae, and it is grown in all parts of China. The main edible part of arrowhead is its underground corm, which generally grows in shallow ditches, along small streams, and in paddy fields. So when growing arrowhead, what issues do we need to pay attention to? Follow along with the editor below to learn about them.

1. Seed bud treatment

Arrowhead mainly reproduces and grows by using medium seed buds, so the selection and treatment of seed buds are also very important. Generally, we select medium-sized, fully mature seed buds free of pests and diseases. Then we cut off part of the corm, soak it in carbendazim, remove it after fifteen minutes and let it dry, and store it for overwintering. Before sowing, the seed buds should be soaked in clean water for one or two days, and then they can be sown.

2. Planting time

Arrowhead also has requirements for planting time; not all times are suitable for growing arrowhead. Generally speaking, the planting time for arrowhead is from the end of April to the beginning of May each year, when the average temperature can reach above 15 degrees, so that the seedling emergence rate after sowing will be higher. The sowing time should not be too early or too late; the earliest sowing time should not be earlier than mid-April.

3. Water level adjustment

Water level management in arrowhead cultivation is crucial. Although arrowhead is an aquatic plant, its water requirements follow a strict standard. When it has just been sown, the water level in the paddy field generally only needs to be about two to three centimeters. After seven to ten days, we continue to add new water to the field, still keeping the water level at about three centimeters. During the seedling growth period, the water level should also be kept at about three centimeters. If the temperature rises above 26 degrees, then we need to reasonably increase the water level, keeping it at about five to ten centimeters. It should be noted that no matter what stage of growth it is in, we need to keep the field soil moist.

4. Topdressing management

Topdressing is meant to promote the growth of arrowhead, thereby increasing its yield and quality. About one week after planting, topdressing is needed, mainly with decomposed manure water. Throughout its growth process, we should follow the principle of promote, control, promote when topdressing, so as to achieve the best nutrient utilization effect. During fertilization, we must not apply only nitrogen fertilizer or other single fertilizer types; we should pay attention to the combined use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers.

5. Pest and disease control

To improve the yield and quality of arrowhead, we also need to pay attention to pest and disease control during cultivation. The main diseases are brown spot disease and zonate leaf spot disease, and we can use thiophanate combined with chlorothalonil. The most common pests are aphids, stem borers, and armyworms, and we can use dichlorvos, dimethoate, and beta-cypermethrin respectively to spray and kill them.

The above are the five most important issues to note in the process of growing arrowhead. Next are things like the planting density of arrowhead and the trimming of branches and leaves, which are also issues we need to pay attention to during cultivation. If you encounter other problems during the growing process, you can also ask the editor for advice.