What kind of growing environment is suitable for water spinach?
Water spinach is very commonly grown in China, although it is relatively rare in the north. But in the rural south, almost every household grows it, and there are also many commercial growing bases. So why are there not many people growing it in the north? Because water spinach has certain requirements for the environment during its growth process. So what are the environmental requirements for growing water spinach? Today, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look below!
1. Temperature
Water spinach likes to grow in a warm and humid environment, and the germination temperature of water spinach seeds must be above 15°C. If propagated by cuttings, then at a temperature of 30°C, the axillary buds of the wild duck sprout quickly and evenly. The growth temperature for the leaves and vines of water spinach should be around 28°C. In a warmer environment, the leaves and vines have strong growth capacity, and the picking interval can also be shortened. If the temperature is below 15°C, then the growth rate of the leaves and vines decreases noticeably, and if it is below 10°C, then they basically will not grow. If frost occurs, they will be frozen to death directly, so attention should be paid to controlling the temperature well to prevent the water spinach from freezing to death and drying up.
2. Light
Water spinach is a short-day plant, and it can be cultivated both in dry land and in water. It is very suitable in the southern region, but different cultivation modes have different light requirements. For example, some water-cultivated varieties of water spinach have very strict light requirements. Under normal circumstances, they will not produce seeds and can only reproduce asexually. If it is a dry-land cultivated variety, then the short-day requirement is not great. However, in general, water spinach likes to grow in an environment with sufficient light, but it also has strong shade tolerance and can be appropriately planted densely.
3. Water
The root system of water spinach is relatively developed and will produce many adventitious roots. However, the leaf area of water spinach is large and the water evaporation rate is fast, and combined with dense planting, its demand for water is relatively large. Therefore, we should pay attention to creating a relatively humid environment for water spinach. If the humidity is low and there is little water, then the vines of water spinach will gradually become thicker and older, and the yield and quality will also be seriously affected as a result. Water spinach has relatively strong waterlogging tolerance, so it is also a major leafy green vegetable in the rainy and high-humidity summer season.
4. Soil
The growth ability of water spinach is relatively strong, and since it can be cultivated both in dry land and in water, its requirements for soil are not very strict. It can grow normally in most soils, and the yield will basically not be greatly affected. However, because the growth volume of water spinach is relatively large, its demand for fertilizer is relatively high, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Therefore, we should pay attention to the soil's water and fertilizer retention capacity. If the soil's water and fertilizer retention is not strong, then it is not suitable for planting.
The above is a brief introduction to the growing environment of water spinach. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!