When to plant watercress
Watercress is suitable for open-air cultivation, a garden plant by ponds and streams, or it can be encapsulated for viewing. It is mainly used in garden water features, shallow water edges for greening or mulching. Sienna is typically planted in August through September, but with advances in technology, it can be grown year-round. Indoor maintenance is desirable in northern winters.
What are the methods of planting watercress
1, land selection and preparation
Choose a plot of land that is fertile, retains water and fertilizer for planting, and is easy to irrigate. You can use dry land or paddy fields, and it is best to have buildings and other shading measures nearby. Land preparation is carried out according to local conditions. In general, the land should be ploughed and plowed and adequate basal fertilizer applied. 3000-4000kg of decomposed and finely ground organic fertilizer can be used per acre, and the sides can be organized and leveled.
2. Seedlings
Seedlings should be sown one month before cultivation, planted in the protected area in early spring and winter, and planted on the open ground in other seasons. Make a 1.5-meter-wide seedling border. After the border is leveled, thoroughly water the bottom and then sow the seeds. Generally, 3-4 grams of seeds are sown per square meter, and 15 grams per square meter m2 seedbed is used for planting 1 acre of land. Due to the small size of the seeds, for even sowing, 50 grams of seeds should be mixed with half a pot of fine sandy soil and sown together. After sowing, it should be covered with about half a finger thickness of fine sand and care should be taken to keep the edges moist for germination and seedling emergence.
3, planting
Select seedlings 12-15cm tall strong seedlings or cut young strong stems, plant 3-5cm in the soil, 1-3 plants per hole, preferably semi-horizontal, row spacing of 10cm × 15cm or 12cm × 12cm.
4, field management
(1) Water and fertilizer: keep the soil moist after planting. In case of high temperature and hot weather, watering should be done in the morning and evening. In case of heavy rain, growers should prepare drainage system in advance. After transplanting is established, nitrogen fertilizer should be used and fertilized to ensure one mowing. 5-7.5kg of ternary compound fertilizer can be applied per acre of land.
(2) Temperature and light: watercress is cold hardy but not heat resistant. The growth temperature is 15-25 ℃, higher than 30 ℃ when the growth is hindered, lower than 10 ℃ when the growth stops, in 0 ℃ or so can be open ground overwintering; like sufficient light. It is best to have 7-8 hours of light per day, but it is best to move to a cooler place when it is hot in summer.
(3) Pests and diseases: the natural enemies of watercress are mainly small cabbage moths and aphids, as well as some common diseases, such as botrytis and gray mold. It is best to take prevention as the mainstay, regularly clean up weeds and dead leaves, pay attention to the ventilation of the planting environment, remove and burn diseased leaves to prevent bacterial invasion.
5, timely harvest
When the height of the plant is about 20 centimeters, you can harvest the young stems. The picked watercress can be eaten in a hot pot or boiled into soup.