How to Grow Pea Shoots and Key Technical Points
Pea shoots refer to the sprouts of the pea, a leguminous plant, and belong to the category of sprout vegetables. Pea shoots have a very fresh, delicate flavor and are highly nutritious. They are rich in carotene and various amino acids, and their amino acid content is especially high, far exceeding that of other vegetables, making them very popular in China. So how do you grow pea shoots? Below, the editor brings you the method for growing pea shoots. Let's take a look!
1. Material Preparation
Before growing pea shoots, the first thing to do is understand their growth habits. The suitable temperature for growing pea shoots is around 20°C, and they are mainly grown indoors. Then prepare various production materials such as a sprouting rack and seedling trays. Keep the sprouting rack to about 5 tiers, with the distance between each tier at about 35 cm for easy handling, and control the width according to the length of the seedling trays. The seedling trays should mainly be made of lightweight plastic, which is good for the growth of pea shoots. Finally, prepare the same number of tray liners as the number of seedlings to be grown.
2. Seed Treatment
Next, select healthy seeds, mainly fresh, insect-free seeds, to ensure seed quality and improve the germination rate. Then, before sowing, sun the seeds, and after sunning, rinse the seeds about two times with clean water, then soak the seeds in water at about twice the volume of the seeds for about 20 hours. An appropriate amount of nutrient solution can be added to the water to improve the germination rate and the flavor of the pea shoots. It can also prevent the seeds from rotting and becoming moldy. After soaking, scoop out the seeds and drain off the water, then begin sprouting. Keep the sprouting temperature at around 20°C, and once the seeds show white sprouts, they can be sown.
3. Proper Sowing
Before sowing, spread a layer of liner paper on the bottom of the previously prepared plastic seedling tray, and the liner paper should have plenty of water. Then broadcast the treated seeds evenly onto the seedling tray; generally, the sowing amount for about 3 trays is about 1 kg. After sowing, move the seedling trays into the sprouting rack, then provide shading and strengthen moisture and heat retention to promote germination. At this time, the sprouting temperature should also be kept at around 20°C. During sprouting, spray the seedling trays with water appropriately every day, then rotate the positions of the trays to keep temperature, humidity, and light even. When the sprouts have grown to about 3 cm, move them to the cultivation rack.
4. Cultivation Management
Management during the growing process is very important. The most important part is managing light and water well. The light must not be too strong; if it is too strong, the seedlings will age. Therefore, keep the light weak and provide appropriate shade with a shade net. Then spray water about 3 times a day to keep the sprouts fresh and tender. When spraying, control the amount according to the moisture level of the substrate; it must not be too much, and then appropriately raise the air humidity. On cloudy and rainy days, water less. Ventilate appropriately every day to avoid excessive humidity, which can lead to disease.
The above is a brief introduction to how to grow pea shoots. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!