Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Cultivating Chinese Toon Sprouts
Chinese toon (Toona sinensis) is a tree whose tender shoots have a unique fragrance and rich nutrition, making it a woody sprout vegetable. In the past, people could only pick them to eat when they sprouted. But now, in order to meet market demand, people use special methods so that Chinese toon sprouts come onto the market in succession. So now let's take a look at what these techniques are!
1. Germination
Select seeds from the current year, rinse away impurities, and remove seeds with poor growth and development; generally, floating seeds cannot be used. Soak the seeds in hot water, using 55°C water, soaking overnight, or for a full day, until the seeds have absorbed enough water. Wash them clean, drain the seeds, and germinate them in a 23°C incubation box. After a few days, once they show white, they can be sown; sow when about 85% of the seeds have shown white. A small number of seeds that do not sprout need not be dealt with; if they do not germinate after sowing, they may be problematic seeds.
2. Sowing
Sow using a seedling tray; first scrub the seedling tray clean with detergent. Place a layer of white paper, then place 3 cm of washed wet perlite, scatter the seeds on the perlite, evenly distributed, using an appropriate amount of seeds. Then cover with 1.5 cm of perlite to cover the seeds, then spray some water. Do not spray too much water, and do not let water accumulate in the tray.
3. Management
After about five days, the sprouts will break through the substrate, and in about ten days they will grow the hypocotyl, but it is relatively thin. During this period, spray frequently to maintain moderate moisture; spray humidity is relatively even. Maintain air humidity at about 80%. The sprouts will grow faster and the seedlings will be more tender. No fertilization is needed during this period; fertilizing easily causes overly fast growth and easy lignification and aging. When humidity is high, be sure to prevent diseases; using pesticides on sprouts affects quality.
4. Harvesting
Since they are sprout vegetables, they must be harvested in time; if harvested late, they easily age and affect the taste. When the hypocotyl is over ten cm and the cotyledons are flat and spread out, they can be harvested. Pull them up by the roots and wash them; in fact, they can be produced in all four seasons and can be sold in batches. They can also be sold by grade.
Chinese toon sprouts are a highly popular sprout vegetable; choosing new cultivation methods is a business opportunity, and you can actually try the cultivation methods yourself.