Key Points of Toona sinensis Cultivation Techniques and Introduction to the Best Months to Eat It

Toona sinensis is a plant with a distinctive odor, generally more common in rural areas, and rich in certain nutrients. As people's pursuit of these wild delicacies grows, Toona sinensis is also sold in the market, and the price is not very expensive. Let's take a look below at what are the key points of Toona sinensis cultivation techniques? In which month is it a specialty eaten?

I. What are the key points of Toona sinensis cultivation techniques?

1. Seed selection and germination

Select seeds from the current year that are plump and red-yellow in color, then carry out germination treatment to increase the germination rate and promote uniform seedling emergence.

First, place the seeds in warm water at about 40°C and soak for 5~8 minutes, stirring constantly during soaking. After soaking, remove them and place them in room-temperature water to soak for one day. Once the seeds have absorbed enough water, remove them and drain off the excess water.

Then spread the seeds on a bamboo mat; the spreading thickness should not exceed 3cm, so as to avoid heat accumulation causing damage to the seeds. After spreading, cover with a towel, then place in an environment of 20~25°C for germination. During germination, turn the seeds occasionally, and rinse them with clean water at the same temperature as the germination environment. After draining off the excess water, continue germination. When one third of the seeds begin to sprout, they can be sown.

2. Sowing and raising seedlings

Choose sandy soil with flat terrain, sufficient sunlight, convenient irrigation and drainage, and fertile, loose soil as the seedbed. Rake the soil fine and level it, apply some fertilizer for the seedlings to emerge, spread the fertilizer evenly and then deep-plow, open furrows for sowing with a furrow width of 5~6cm and a furrow depth of 5cm, with a row spacing of 1 m between furrows. Evenly scatter the germinated seeds, cover with a layer of fine soil, control the temperature at 20~23°C, weed regularly, maintain soil moisture and air humidity, and they will sprout and emerge within one week. During the seedling stage, strengthen fertilizer and water management to promote seedling growth.

When the seedlings emerge and grow 4~6 true leaves, thinning and final spacing should be carried out in time. When the plants grow to about 50cm, dwarfing treatment should be carried out. A 200~400 times dilution of 15% paclobutrazol can be used, sprayed once every 10~15 days, for 2~3 consecutive sprays, which can control excessive growth, promote dwarfing of the seedlings, and increase matter accumulation. Combining paclobutrazol treatment with pinching can increase the number of branches.

3. Field planting

After the dwarfing treatment of the plants is completed, field planting can be carried out. For field planting, greenhouse cultivation should be chosen; generally, a greenhouse environment is created through plastic tunnel technology. Before field planting, first prepare the land and apply fertilizer. Each mu requires 5000kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, plus some other fertilizers. Spread evenly and deep-plow, then make beds and plant the seedlings; generally the bed width is about 1 m. After these preliminary preparations are done, field planting can proceed. When planting, keep the roots with soil, and be careful not to cause root damage. The planting density is about 30,000 plants per mu, with a plant and row spacing of 15×15cm.

4. Management work after field planting

After Toona sinensis is planted, in order to make it grow quickly and have high yield, management must be strengthened, paying attention to temperature, light, fertilizer and water, and other work. The optimal growth temperature for Toona sinensis is 20~25 degrees. It likes light and is not tolerant of shade, but it avoids strong light exposure, so pay attention to the duration of light. On rainy days, artificial supplemental lighting can be used, and during strong light, shade should be provided in time. Toona sinensis likes moisture but avoids waterlogging, so in case of drought, water in time, and in rainy seasons, take good drainage and waterlogging prevention measures. Every year, intertillage and soil loosening should also be carried out, and green manure can be intercropped between rows to increase soil fertility. As long as these tasks are done well, Toona sinensis will grow and sprout at an extremely fast rate.

5. Harvesting of Toona sprouts

Toona sinensis sprouts are purplish-red and strongly fragrant. When the Toona sinensis sprouts grow to 15~20 cm and have good coloration, harvesting can begin. For the first crop of Toona sprouts, pick the terminal buds clustered on the bud scape. When picking, leave a little of the bud scape and pick off the terminal bud, so that the base of the remaining bud scape continues to produce leaves. Harvesting is best done in the morning and evening. In the greenhouse, Toona sinensis sprouts can be harvested once every 7~10 days, for a total of 4~5 harvests. After each harvest of sprouts, topdress and water.

II. In which month is Toona sinensis a specialty eaten?

The third month of the lunar calendar is exactly when Toona sinensis is in season. The tender sprouts of Toona sinensis are crisp, tender, sweet and delicious, and rich in nutrients, and can be called a precious vegetable on the banquet table. Before eating, blanch it once in boiling water; boiling water can remove most of the nitrite in Toona sinensis.