How and when to plant arrowhead mushrooms

Sagittaria, also known as water chestnut, sagittaria, etc., is an aquatic or marsh plant that usually grows in shallow ditches, streams or paddy fields and prefers a warm and humid environment. Water chestnuts are distributed in all parts of the north and south, and are more cultivated in the south. Below, the editor will introduce the cultivation methods and time of water chestnuts. Let’s take a look.

1. How to grow Sagittaria

1. Site selection and land preparation

Choose paddy fields with convenient irrigation and drainage and fertile soil for planting. Before planting, prepare the land, deep plow the soil and apply well-rotted farmyard manure as base fertilizer.

2. Seed selection and germination

Choose healthy, disease- and insect-free arrowhead corms or terminal buds as seeds. Before planting, the bulbs should be germinated by cutting off the top buds and inserting them into paddy fields or placing them in a humid environment with a temperature above 15°C for germination. They will sprout in about 10 days.

3. Seedling transplanting

When raising seedlings, insert the germinated terminal buds or corms into the seedbed and maintain a shallow water layer to facilitate rooting. When the seedlings grow to a certain stage, they can be transplanted. When transplanting, insert the roots of the seedlings into the paddy field soil about 10 cm deep and maintain an appropriate planting density.

4. Field management

Arrowhead mushrooms need sufficient water and nutrients during their growth. During the vigorous growth period and the heading period, topdressing should be applied in a timely manner, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizers . Keep the water level in the paddy field within an appropriate range, usually at a depth of about 10 cm. Improve field ventilation and light transmission, weed and loosen the soil in time to promote the growth and development of arrowhead mushrooms.

5. Pest and disease control

Prevention of diseases and pests of arrowhead mushrooms is also an important task. Usually, weeding should be done more often and field ventilation and light transmission should be enhanced. If diseases are found, appropriate pesticides can be used to prevent and control them. For insect pests, you can use pesticides such as DDT or imidacloprid for spraying.

2. Planting time of arrowhead mushroom

The planting time of arrowhead mushroom mainly depends on the local climatic conditions and planting rotation. Generally speaking, the planting season of arrowhead mushrooms falls from March to April each year, but the specific time may vary from region to region.

In Suzhou area, early water chestnuts are usually raised in late April and planted in late May, while late water chestnuts are raised in early May and planted in mid-to-late July. Therefore, growers should determine the best planting time based on local climate and planting habits.

The above is an introduction to the planting method and time of water chestnuts. The bulb of water chestnuts is edible, crispy and tender with a slightly bitter taste. It is suitable for boiling, roasting, stir-frying and frying. Friends who want to grow water chestnuts can master the above methods and time.