Compared to the topic of how to plant mesclun, what climatic conditions are needed, and the discussion of planting time and methods of various flowers and plants by most people, the editor will introduce the following.
African mesclun is rich in nutrients and has certain medical value, making it a new type of health vegetable. It has been successfully introduced in Shouguang, Shandong, with considerable economic benefits and a good market prospect. This article mainly introduces the cultivation techniques for introducing African species.
1. Introduction to African Mesclun
African mesclun belongs to the Aizoaceae family, a dicotyledonous annual succulent herb known as ice plant, named for the salt crystal-like particles on the surface of its leaves. As a new type of health vegetable, ice plant is rich in various nutrients such as pinitol, inositol, flavonoids, carotenoids, and natural mineral salts, which can help treat hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases, making it a good nutritional health product. Ice plant can also be used as an ornamental succulent plant, with a height of 20-40 cm, star-shaped flowers in light wisteria purple, leaves full of water, crystal clear and shiny, suitable for making bonsai; the cultivation technology is relatively simple, with a long growing period and high economic value, the price can even reach 70 yuan/kg.
Due to climatic reasons, the successful introduction of mesclun is currently concentrated in areas such as Shandong, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Yunnan. Since the successful introduction in Luocheng Street, Shouguang City, Shandong Province in early 2014, ice plant has developed into a new type of special vegetable, becoming one of the major cultivation bases in China, with products sold to high-end hotels and large supermarkets at home and abroad, boasting considerable economic benefits and a broad market prospect.
2. Key Points of Successful Cultivation Techniques in Shouguang Area
The cultivation methods of ice plant are diverse, including soil cultivation and hydroponics. The taste of ice plant will also change slightly due to different cultivation methods. In addition to greenhouse cultivation and field cultivation, it is also suitable for planting on balconies or in pots, which can be used as ornamental bonsai or for home consumption, achieving two benefits. This study mainly introduces the greenhouse soil cultivation technique in the Shouguang area.
2.1 Variety Selection
Choose ice plant varieties suitable for the climate of Shandong Province, introduced from the Musashino Seedling Company in Japan. This variety is more tolerant to low temperature and weak light, suitable for greenhouse planting, with simple technology and good taste. It has been promoted and planted in Luocheng and other streets in the Shouguang area.
2.2 Sowing Time
Ice plant is not heat-tolerant and will wilt when the temperature exceeds 30℃. Therefore, it is best to avoid the hot summer during the growing season. The growth cycle is about 6 months, and two crops can be planted in one year. The autumn and winter crop can be planted in September and can be mass-marketed before the New Year; the spring and summer crop can be planted in February and harvested before the high temperature in July, ensuring both suitable growing conditions for the ice plant and increased income.
2.3 Selection of Origin
Ice plant is mostly eaten fresh and has a strong adsorption capacity for heavy metals in the soil, so the selection of the origin environment is very important. It should be chosen in areas with clean water sources and no heavy pollution from chemical plants nearby.
2.4 Cultivation Techniques
2.4.1 Seed Soaking and Germination
Mesclun seeds are very small. Choose seeds that are full, undamaged, and free from pests and diseases. Use about 5g per 667m², soak the seeds in 25℃ water for 3 hours, then plant them in a seeding tray. If conditions permit, they can be directly placed in a constant temperature incubator for seed soaking and germination.
2.4.2 Matrix Seedling Raising
Use the point sowing method with a 128-hole small-hole seedling tray, sowing 1 seed per hole. Since the seeds are small, do not cover them with a thick matrix (the matrix should be dried and sieved before use), just cover them with a thin layer. Place all seeded trays on a flat seedling bed in the greenhouse for unified management.
1) Temperature Management: After sowing, maintain a temperature of about 22℃ to promote seed germination. When the temperature is low, use heating measures to increase the temperature; when the temperature is high, pay attention to increasing ventilation in the seedling room or greenhouse to lower the temperature. If seedlings are raised in winter, a small arch shed can be set up on the greenhouse seedling bed, covered with cotton blankets, straw mats, etc., to ensure the seedling temperature; as the temperature rises, ventilate and dehumidify appropriately to prevent the seedlings from becoming leggy or root rot.
2) Water Management: After sowing, water thoroughly, and do not water the matrix unless it is dry. Do not water before the seedlings emerge. After the seedlings emerge, if the temperature is high and the leaves are wilted, water can be sprayed on the leaves with a sprayer. Do not apply any fertilizer during the seedling stage, but if damping-off disease occurs, a microbial-type fungicide such as Trichoderma viride wettable powder 500 times solution can be sprayed with a sprayer for prevention.
There are currently two main methods of cultivating ice plant: one is to plant seedlings or seedling trays after raising them; the other is to direct sow seeds in the greenhouse. The Shouguang area generally uses matrix seedling raising, then transplanting to the field after hardening, to prevent seedlings from dying or leaving empty holes when direct sowing.
2.4.3 Hardening and Transplanting
1) Hardening: About 25-30 days after sowing (slightly different depending on the cultivation period), when the seedlings have grown to the 4-5th true leaves, they can be transplanted. Start hardening 4-5 days before transplanting, slightly reduce the temperature of the seedling bed, increase ventilation, and improve the resistance of the seedlings; water the seedlings from the bottom of the tray to make it easier to remove them from the soil.
2) Preparations before Transplanting: About 20 days before transplanting, clean up the greenhouse, apply about 2000 kg of organic biogas fertilizer and 50 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer per 667m² as a base fertilizer, deeply turn the soil with a rotary tiller, level the land, and then make ridges about 1.6 m wide, with 4 rows per ridge and a 40-50 cm wide trench between each ridge for easy picking and daily management. Ice plant is drought-resistant, and the planting soil should not be too wet and should have good drainage. Sandy soil is best, so a mixture of field soil, sand, or peat can be used for planting. To increase drainage, the cultivation bed should be slightly elevated. About 3500 seedlings can be planted per 667m².
3) Transplanting: Transplanting should be done on a cloudy day or after 15:00 on a sunny day. Dig trenches or holes in the ridges, and try to choose healthy seedlings with no diseases, no wounds, and well-developed roots. When lifting the seedlings, try to take more soil with the roots to protect them from damage and help with seedling establishment. The leaves of the ice plant are very fragile, so the entire transplanting process must be gentle to ensure the integrity of the plants; do not dig the holes too deep, just enough for the leaves to be above the soil surface, cover with soil immediately after planting, and water. Three days after transplanting, check the survival rate of the seedlings and replace any dead ones promptly. Since ice plant is mostly eaten raw, efforts should be made to minimize contact between the stems and leaves and the soil. Five days after transplanting, you can cover with plastic mulch by making holes in it, which is clean and hygienic and can also keep the temperature and humidity.
2.4.4 Management after Transplanting
1) Temperature Management: Ice plant prefers warm temperatures and is intolerant to high heat or cold. The most suitable growth temperature is 18-26℃. If the temperature is too high and exceeds 30℃ for a long time, the plants will become leggy, the stems will elongate, the leaves will cluster together, become narrow, and the leaf secretions will decrease, even causing wilt and poor quality; if the temperature is too low, the plants will grow slowly, the leaves will easily wrinkle, and below 5℃ will cause severe frost damage. Therefore, when the temperature is high, it is necessary to increase ventilation to cool down, and a black shading net can be set up at noon, or some farmers splash mud water on the greenhouse film to create a shading effect, which is conducive to cooling. If it is cold, electric heating wires can be laid in the greenhouse, or other warming measures such as covering with non-woven cotton blankets, straw mats, etc., can be used.
2) Water and Fertilizer Management: Ice plant is relatively drought-tolerant and should only be watered when the soil surface is dry. The soil moisture content should be controlled at around 60%, keeping it half-dry and half-wet. Overwatering can easily cause root rot, disease, and even death. During the entire growth process, foliar spraying with biogas solution (1:4) can be done every 10 days to reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests. The spraying should be uniform, ensuring that both the front and back of the leaves are covered. Foliar fertilization should be done after noon on a sunny day, using fully decomposed biogas solution, filtered with a net to clarify. Ice plant likes boron, so a 0.1% boron solution can be sprayed on the leaves every half month to promote growth and prevent leaf cracking.
3) Light Management: Ice plant likes light, and during the growing period, light can be extended under the right temperature and humidity conditions to promote rapid growth.
4) Disease Management: Ice plant has few diseases and is mostly eaten raw, so chemical pesticides should be avoided as much as possible, focusing on prevention. If severe diseases occur, microbial pesticides or physical control methods can be used for treatment. It is important to ventilate and light up in time to prevent excessive humidity from causing diseases. The main pests are aphids and planthoppers, which can be prevented with anti-insect nets or yellow sticky traps. If the pest infestation worsens, matrine emulsion 1000 times solution can also be considered for control. During daily management, old and diseased leaves should be removed from the plants in a timely manner, weeds should be pulled out to promote ventilation and light, and the occurrence of diseases and pests should be reduced.
If flower buds are found on the ice plant, they must be removed. Because once flowering occurs, the growth of the plant stems and leaves will be limited, and the quality for consumption will decrease.
2.5 Harvesting
About one month after transplanting, when the lateral branches are about 20 cm long, the ice plant can be harvested. Note that when harvesting, leave the first node with a pair of leaves on the branches for the preparation of secondary lateral branches. Generally, harvesting can start at 05:00 when the temperature is low to better ensure the freshness after picking. Pay attention to the requirements of the harvesting process to avoid damaging the plants. After harvesting, place the ice plant in a foam insulation box with ice bottles (plastic bottles filled with water, then frozen at low temperature) as soon as possible to maintain its quality during storage and transportation. If stored at around 5℃, ice plant can be stored for one week, but the storage temperature should not be too low, otherwise it may cause frost damage and become inedible.
In view of the strict post-harvest preservation conditions and short shelf life of ice plant, Shouguang has already started deep processing of ice plant, such as drying it into vegetable powder, which not only preserves the nutrients but also increases the good commercial value, making it suitable for long-term storage. Japanese people also use the extracted substances from ice plant in cosmetics, which have good moisturizing and nutritional effects. Therefore, the introduction of ice plant, commercial cultivation, deep processing, and promotion prospects are good.
The above is[]all about how to plant mesclun, what climatic conditions are needed, and the planting time and methods. Have green plant enthusiasts understood it?