How to save seeds of water spinach

How to get water spinach seeds

Water spinach is a plant of the genus Ipomoea batatas. The species was originally distributed in East Asia and is now widely cultivated as a vegetable, or sometimes grows in the wild. Water spinach has seeds, and it will produce seeds as long as it blooms and bears fruit.

How to save seeds of water spinach

Water spinach seeds can be kept for about a year. Water spinach can keep its own seeds. As long as it blooms and bears fruit, you can pick seeds from the flowers. When sowing, it is generally necessary to mix the seeds and germinate them.

1. Seed mixing with chemicals: Before sowing water spinach, mix the seeds with metalaxyl for sterilization.

2. Soaking seeds for germination: Water spinach seeds have a hard seed coat and are difficult to germinate. They need to be soaked in 50-60 degree warm water for 30 minutes in advance, and then soaked in clean water for 20 to 24 hours. After being taken out, they can be placed in a 25 degree environment for germination. They can be rinsed with clean water every day to maintain basic moisture. The seeds can be sown when half of them are white.

Water spinach seed storage

After harvesting the water spinach seeds, they need to be placed in a well-ventilated place to dry, and then stored in relatively dry and relatively low temperature conditions.

Water spinach seed planting

Generally, the time for sowing water spinach is chosen in spring, which is after mid-to-late April.

The seeds of water spinach need to be soaked in advance, otherwise it will be difficult for them to germinate. Therefore, they can be soaked in clean water before sowing. After sowing, they need to be covered with a layer of fine soil to promote seed germination and rooting. Seedlings will emerge after about a week, and thinning should be carried out when the seedlings grow to about 3 cm.

After the water spinach is established and survives, it is necessary to keep the soil moist and to cultivate and weed. This will facilitate the absorption of fertilizers in the soil. About 30 days after establishment, summer begins. At this time, the growth rate of water spinach accelerates, so the amount of fertilization and watering should be increased. Topdressing fertilizer should mainly be nitrogen fertilizer, and the concentration should not be too high.

During the maintenance period of water spinach, it is also necessary to prevent and control diseases and pests. If the prevention and control are not appropriate, the yield and quality of water spinach will be affected. Common diseases and pests include anthracnose, cabbage loopers, etc. Regular disinfection should be carried out, inter-row cultivation and weeding should be done well, and the amount of water and fertilizer should be controlled.