The season for dandelion planting is in which month
The editor introduces the season for dandelion planting and shares knowledge about dandelion growth cycles and plant care. Here is the detailed content to follow.
Dandelions are perennial herbs of the Asteraceae family, widely distributed in the northern part of China. They prefer cooler environments and are adaptable, often growing by roadsides, fields, and slopes. Today, I will mainly talk about the utilization value and cultivation points of dandelions.
I. Utilization Value of Dandelions
1. Nutritional Value
Dandelions have rich nutritional value, containing carbohydrates, trace elements, proteins, fats, and vitamins. They can be eaten raw, made into soup, or used as stuffing, with a unique flavor. According to related measurements, dandelions contain at least 17 amino acids and various mineral elements, with potassium being the highest, several times the content of sodium. Therefore, dandelions are a typical high-potassium, low-sodium salt food. The content of iron and selenium in dandelions is relatively high, which is beneficial to the human body. Dandelions can also be processed into a variety of foods such as dandelion sauce, wine, and beverages.
2. Medicinal Value
The dandelion plant contains choline, inulin, chicoric acid, organic acids, glucose glycosides, and other health nutrients, with diuretic, mild laxative, jaundice-clearing, and cholagogic effects. Please consult a doctor when using it for medicinal purposes.
3. Ornamental Value
Dandelions are perennial plants with strong resistance to adversity, drought tolerance, flood tolerance, and resistance to diseases and pests, with very few natural disasters. They can compete with various weeds; they have the characteristics of early greening, late withering, and blooming in spring and autumn, providing unique ornamental value, suitable for cultivation in greening and beautifying environments.
4. Feed Value
Due to the rich nutritional content of dandelions, they are a good feed for livestock and poultry in rural areas.
II. Key Points for Dandelion Cultivation
1. Cultivation Season: Dandelions can be planted in spring and autumn outdoors, and can be planted throughout the year in greenhouses. Generally, sowing is done in summer and transplanting in autumn.
2. Soil Preparation and Fertilization: Combine soil preparation with the application of 3000-5000 kg of farmyard manure or decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, 20 kg of diammonium phosphate, and deep plowing the land by about 30 cm, then refine and level the soil to make ridges about 3 cm wide.
3. Sowing: Two days before sowing, water the soil thoroughly. Dandelion seeds are small, so when sowing, throw the seeds into the air to let them fall naturally and evenly on the ridge surface. If the temperature is too low for early spring sowing, you can cover the ground with plastic film. After summer sowing, cover with straw to retain moisture, ensuring uniform seedlings. The sowing rate is 1.5 kg of seeds per mu, and seedlings usually emerge 7-10 days after sowing.
4. Field Management:
Temperature after sowing: Cover with plastic film after sowing to maintain soil temperature and moisture; seedlings usually emerge about 5 days after sowing, and remove the plastic film after the seedlings are fully emerged; the optimal growth temperature for dandelions is 20-25°C.
Inter-row Cultivation and Weeding: The first inter-row cultivation and weeding can be done about 10 days after seedlings emerge, followed by another round every 10 days.
Thinning and Transplanting: Thinning can usually be done about 10 days after emergence, maintaining a spacing of about 10 cm between plants, and after about 20 days, transplanting can be done with a spacing of about 25 cm.
Irrigation and Fertilization Management: Fertilization is usually combined with watering, with 1-2 applications during the growing period, each with about 10 kg of urea and 5 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu. Watering should keep the soil moist before emergence and control moisture after emergence to prevent excessive growth; water once after thinning and do not water for 3-4 days after harvesting to prevent root rot.
Disease and Pest Control: Dandelions do not have diseases and pests during the entire growing period, so no pesticides are needed.
Harvesting: When the leaves reach a certain length, with 7-8 true leaves, they can be harvested. The method is to cut horizontally 1-2 cm above the ground, bundle them, and they can be harvested every 20 days, with 4 cuts per year, 2 each in spring and autumn.
The introduction above about the season for dandelion planting and sharing the growth cycle of dandelions is hoped to be liked by everyone!