How many years does it generally take for turmeric to be ready for harvest?

Turmeric has relatively high medicinal and economic value. It can promote the flow of qi and break up blood stasis, dredge the meridians and relieve pain. It is mainly used for distending pain in the chest and abdomen, arthralgia of the shoulders and arms, unbearable heart pain, postpartum blood pain, incipient sores and ringworm, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, and traumatic injuries. It can also be used to extract a yellow food dye, and the curcumin it contains can be used as an analytical chemical reagent. So, how many years does it take for turmeric to be ready for harvest?

1. How many years does it take for turmeric to be ready for harvest?

Turmeric generally needs to be grown for two years before it can be harvested. It is suitable for growing in a warm and humid climate with plenty of sunlight and abundant rainfall.

2. Planting methods for turmeric

1. Land preparation and fertilization

It is best to choose sandy loam with deep soil, loose and fertile texture, and good drainage. After selecting the planting site, clear the weeds and leftover plant debris from the field, and deep-plow the soil. During plowing, apply 3000 kg of livestock manure and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers can also be used instead, applying 90-100 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer per mu. Mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, then harrow finely and level.

2. Sowing

Turmeric is mainly propagated asexually by rhizomes. Select turmeric with vigorous growth, plump and full rhizomes, and dense buds as seed. When sowing, cut the selected rhizomes into small sections of 2-3 cm, and each section must have 1-2 small buds so that it can germinate and emerge normally. Sowing can be done in holes or furrows. The sowing time is in October-November. When sowing, control the plant and row spacing at 20×15 cm, and 6000-8000 seed pieces are needed per mu.

3. Cultivation and weeding

After sowing, germination and emergence begin 25-30 days later. When the seedlings grow to more than 10 cm, manual weeding should be carried out. When weeding, it is recommended to pull them out directly by hand and not use insecticides, so as to avoid causing seedling death. July-August each year is the active period for turmeric, so soil should be hilled up in time. Generally, the soil should be hilled to a height of about 10 cm to prevent the plants from lodging. Weeding should also be carried out during hilling, and herbicides should likewise not be used; cutting with a knife is acceptable.

4. Fertilizer and water management

Turmeric should be fertilized three times a year. The first time is at the seedling stage, when nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used, applying 30-40 kg per mu. When fertilizing, avoid direct contact with the plants so that the strong fertilizer does not affect plant growth. Generally, water after fertilizing to reduce the concentration and further speed up the absorption of the fertilizer.

The second time is in May-June, when the plants are in the peak growth period, so the demand for nutrients is relatively high. Therefore, topdressing should be done in time to provide what the plants need for growth. At this time, apply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer, generally about 80 kg per mu. Apply and cover with soil at the same time to prevent nutrient loss.

The third time is in July, and it can be combined with cultivation and hilling. This fertilization is extremely important and affects the yield of turmeric. Apply 1-5 kg of organic fertilizer or 0.1 kg of compound fertilizer per plant, or apply them together, but pay attention to the supply of potassium fertilizer. Potassium fertilizer can improve the yield and quality of turmeric.

Turmeric likes moisture but fears waterlogging. When it is dry, water more, and in the rainy season, take good drainage measures to avoid root rot. Watering can be done together with fertilizing.