A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Key Techniques for Water Spinach

I still remember watching Investiture of the Gods as a kid. Bi Gan had his heart dug out and was clinging to a thread of life, until he heard Daji selling water spinach, and finally could not hold on any longer and died. So for a long time, I was full of curiosity and confusion about water spinach, wondering what kind of vegetable could be so magical that just its name could kill a person.

It was much later that I learned water spinach is just a very ordinary vegetable. At first it was grown mostly in rural areas of the south, and now it can be cultivated all over the country. The development of vegetable growing facilities has, in this way, made the growing regions of many vegetables less distinct. Water spinach is still quite high in nutritional value; in particular, its calcium content is 12 times that of tomato, and it also has a high vitamin content. It has health benefits too, such as fighting cancer and strengthening the body.

Once I finally got to eat water spinach. Crisp and tender water spinach stir-fried with garlic sauce has a crisp, tender texture and a fresh fragrance, very delicious, with a unique flavor you cannot forget once you have tried it. Only after growing vegetables did I learn that water spinach is also a very easy leafy vegetable to grow, with a very short growth cycle. From sowing to harvest takes about thirty days, there are very few diseases, and as for pests, like other leafy vegetables it just has a few more cabbage caterpillars.

[Planting Methods for Water Spinach]

1. Suitable environmental conditions: Water spinach likes high temperatures and high humidity, and is strongly heat-tolerant. The suitable growing temperature is 25-30°C. It needs more fertilizer and water, and is suitable for planting in fertile sandy loam soil.

2. Cultivation method: The seed coat of water spinach is thick and hard, so before sowing the seeds must be soaked to promote germination. Soak the seeds in warm water at about 30°C for 18 to 24 hours, then wrap them in a wet cloth and place them in an environment at about 30°C to promote germination. Sow only when more than 50% of the seeds have sprouted white. Either drilling or broadcasting is fine. After sowing, cover with about one cm of soil. If the temperature is low, it is best to cover with plastic film, and the film should be removed promptly when the water spinach emerges. Generally, 30 days after sowing, when the plants have grown to 35 cm tall, they can be harvested.