When and how to plant sword beans

Growth habit of sword bean

1. Temperature: Sword beans like warmth and are heat-resistant. The seeds germinate above 18 degrees. The most suitable temperature for germination and leaf growth is between 18 and 28 degrees. The suitable temperature during the flowering period is between 25 and 30 degrees. The pod-setting temperature needs to be higher than 20 degrees, but not more than 35 degrees.

2. Fertilization: Do not water before flowering, and till the soil once to avoid flower falling. Apply compound fertilizer once when the leaves are vigorous, mainly nitrogen fertilizer. Apply more fertilizer after pod formation. Spray fertilizer twice during the peak period of pod formation. At the same time, thin out dense branches and leaves to concentrate nutrients on pod formation.

3. Light: Sword beans like strong light and need to receive long periods of light, especially during the flowering and pod-setting period, when a lot of light is needed. Insufficient light will cause the flowers and pods to fall off. Generally, this can be achieved under suitable climate and season. When planting, the spacing between plants and rows must be controlled.

4. Soil: The soil for planting should have good water and fertilizer retention, high growth temperature and strong light, and rapid transpiration. Water retention is very important. It is best to plant in fertile soil. It cannot be compacted, otherwise it will be difficult for the roots to absorb water and nutrients. It cannot be planted in saline-alkali land or low-lying land.

Sword bean planting time and season

Sword beans can be planted in spring, summer and autumn. Appropriate varieties must be selected according to the climatic conditions of each season. Seedlings should be raised in February and March for spring cultivation, transplanted in March and April, harvested from June to August, and seeds collected from July to August. Summer and autumn cultivation should be sown from May to August, and harvested from July to October.

How to plant sword beans

1. Land preparation

Sword beans are suitable for planting in loose, fertile sandy loam with high organic matter content and good drainage and ventilation. Deep plowing in autumn and harrowing in spring can better improve the soil structure. Applying base fertilizer to the soil in advance must be fully decomposed.

2. Planting

Before sowing sword beans, choose seeds that are plump, uniform in size, and free of disease. Place them in the sun for a day, soak them in warm water for about 24 hours, and sow them after they have absorbed and swelled, with the umbilical cord facing downward to facilitate water absorption.

3. Seedling cultivation

Seedling cultivation is usually carried out in spring from March to April. The seedbed can be a warm bed or a cold bed. The soil should be sufficiently moist before sowing. After sowing, cover it with 3 cm of soil. Do not water too much and maintain appropriate temperature and humidity to prevent seed rot.

4. Field management

When the height of the sword bean seedlings reaches 10 cm, they can be thinned out, screened, fixed, and supplemented. In the 4-leaf stage, combined with tillage, weeding, and topdressing, when the height reaches 35 cm, insert the support, and the height should be more than 2 meters. You can also use fences, fences, walls, large trees and other ropes to make the support.

5. Pest and disease control

Common diseases and pests during the growth period of sword beans include rust, root rot, aphids, red spiders, whiteflies, bean stem flies, etc. The corresponding pesticides can be sprayed in time at the early stage of the disease. At the same time, the new lipid film can be used to enhance the efficacy of the pesticide and improve the utilization rate of the pesticide.

6. Harvest after maturity

The growth cycle of sword beans is relatively long, taking about 90-120 days. They can usually be picked when the pods are 12-20 cm long. In the north, harvesting begins in midsummer in August and continues until the first frost.