Introduction to planting time and key points of planting techniques of amaranth

Amaranth, also known as green amaranth, corn, red amaranth, thousand vegetables, red vegetables, pickles, cold vegetables, Chinese vegetables and so on, is one of the favorite summer vegetables, rich in certain nutrients, especially high in iron, calcium and other minerals. Amaranth is planted in all parts of our country, with the characteristics of drought tolerance and heat tolerance. Let's take a look at the planting time and techniques of amaranth.

Planting time of amaranth

The northern region generally sows seeds from late April to early September, harvests from late May to early October, and the growing period is generally 30-60 days.

Generally from late February to late March, it is appropriate to choose early-maturing and cold-tolerant varieties such as pointed-leaf red amaranth and pointed-leaf red amaranth.

Red amaranth, Dahongpao, white rice amaranth and willow amaranth should be selected from early April to late May.

Heat-resistant varieties such as white rice amaranth, willow leaf amaranth and red amaranth should be selected for summer and autumn cultivation from early June to early August.

2. Key points of planting techniques of amaranth

1. Soaking seeds to accelerate germination

Amaranth seeds are soaked in cold water for 24 hours and need to be scrubbed several times in the process of soaking to facilitate water absorption. Remove the soaked seeds in winter and early spring, scrub them with clean water, remove and drain water, wrap them with gauze with good permeability, cover them with wet towels, accelerate germination under the condition of 15-20 ℃, and sow when 30-50% of the seeds are white. It is cultivated by direct sowing in other seasons.

2. Soil preparation and fertilization

Amaranth cultivation should choose plots with few weeds. Although amaranth does not have strict requirements for soil, the soil with loose, fertile, good fertilizer and water conservation is the best, and amaranth likes alkaline soil. 5000 kg of mature organic fertilizer and 50 kg of 25% compound fertilizer are applied per mu, and intensive cultivation is made into a high border with border width of 1-1.2m, ditch width of 0.3m and ditch depth of 0.15m.

3. Sowing method

The seed of amaranth is small, sowing mixed with some fine sand or fine soil can make the sowing evenly, with a seed amount of 0.25-0.5 kg per mu. Can be flat bed sowing or strip sowing, sowing can use four-toothed rake shallow hug or not, strip seeder can be a little deeper in spring, summer should be shallow, shallow cover soil, and then suppress, can be watered, waiting for seedlings. In winter and early spring, cover with a thin layer of straw to moisturize, and then cover with a layer of plastic film to keep warm. Add sunscreen in summer.

4. Temperature management

Amaranth uncovered plastic film and mulch after emergence in winter and early spring, and then built a small arch shed in the greenhouse after watering to facilitate heat preservation. When the external temperature was low, a layer of grass curtain was added to the shed in the evening to keep warm. After the emergence of seedlings in summer, add sunscreen in time, cover early and uncover late.

5. Water management

Amaranth should always keep the soil moist in winter and early spring, water frequently in small water, try to water in the morning on a sunny day, and apply 0.2% urea solution once after the seedlings, and topdressing once in the next 7-10 days to promote growth. Appropriately increase the amount of water in summer, usually in the morning and evening.

6. Reasonable topdressing

Amaranth should be fertilized many times, usually the first time when the seedlings have two true leaves, the second time after 10-12 days, and once after each harvest. Nitrogen fertilizer is the main type of fertilizer, 1500-2000 kg of thin human feces and urine can be applied each time, and 5-10 kg of urea can be added.