Key points of standardized cultivation of bracken

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum var.latiusculum), also known as fist vegetables, cat claws, leading vegetables, like to be born in Xiangyang land in shallow mountains, most of China have, more distributed in sparse coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests; its edible part is undeveloped young leaf buds, the treated bracken tastes fragrant and smooth, and then mixed with seasonings, cool and refreshing, it is a rare excellent wine and vegetables, and it can be fried, processed into dried vegetables, stuffed, pickled and canned, etc. It is widely distributed in Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, where it is also popular at the dinner table.

Morphological characteristics of bracken

Root: bracken underground rhizome dark brown, long and horizontally extended, 0.6-0.8 cm in diameter, more than 10 cm long, up to 30 cm.

Leaves: the leaves of bracken grow from underground stems and the veinlets are pinnately branched. The leaf margin curls inward. The petiole has fine hairs when the petiole is tender, and the stem is smooth and the hairs disappear after herbaceous. At the beginning of summer, the reproductive organs, the ascomycetes, are ochre-brown in the leaves.

Key points of standardized cultivation of bracken

Make a bed by preparing the ground

It is appropriate to select the soil rich in humus and apply deciduous compost and stable manure to make a flat or high bed with a width of 1m, which can be planted after the soil is thawed.

Mode of reproduction

There are two ways of reproduction of bracken, namely sexual reproduction (spore reproduction) and asexual reproduction (rhizome ramet propagation). There are many methods of asexual reproduction in production. Asexual reproduction, dig out the underground rhizome, select the strong plant, row spacing 70~80cm, plant spacing 50~60cm, seedling height 10~15cm.

Root plant culture

The root plant (underground stem) of wild bracken is relatively thin and the yield is low, so it is necessary to fertilise the root plant, which is the key to increase production. In order to dig out more root plants, the growth community of bracken must be investigated in advance. When the soil is thawed and has not yet germinated, the root should be extracted as soon as possible, and the root injury should be as little as possible, and the amount of extraction per person is generally 10-15 kg.

Bracken is not strict to the soil quality, in order to facilitate the production of protected land, we should choose the leeward to the sun, more fertile loam with good drainage. Base fertilizer (rotten chicken manure, farm compost, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can also be added) and bedding (flat bed, 1.2-1.5 meters wide) should be applied 10 days before planting. The planting method is to open a shallow ditch with a depth of about 10 cm according to a row spacing of 50-60 cm in the border, first pour bottom water in the ditch, and then put the dug roots, generally planting 140-200 kg per 667 square meters, not only cover soil, but also cover the border with straw.

Topdressing work is mainly carried out in May-June, in order to prevent overgrowth, nitrogen fertilizer should not be excessive, according to pure nitrogen calculation should not exceed 15 kg per 667 square meters, but also pay attention to the coordination of phosphorus and potash fertilizer. Pay attention to waterlogging in the rainy season to avoid lodging. After September, it is required that the upper part of the ground is luxuriant, and the root system of the underground part is developed and staggered into a network. After the arrival of the early frost and the withering of the aboveground, it needs to go through more than a month of dormancy to produce in the protected area.

Field management

During the growth period, it should be ploughed, weeded and irrigated frequently, and drainage should be strengthened in the rainy season so as not to cause root rot; if thin fertilizer is applied many times, one fertilizer can be harvested once, and fertilization should be carried out 2-3 days after harvest; it should be covered with withered grass in winter to protect against cold; timely watering and topdressing should be used before germination in early spring to promote stem and leaf germination.

Harvest

Bracken can be harvested for more than 10 years every spring and early summer, when the young stem grows to 20-25cm, the petiole is young and tender, and the leaflet is fist-hook-shaped before it is unfolded. After the party will affect the edible value, and will have a negative impact on the harvest in the coming year, too early will reduce the yield. When harvesting, you can cut it with a knife or pinch it with your hands, and keep it close to the ground as close as possible. After one harvest, it can be harvested for the second time in 10-15 days and 2-3 times a year.