How to grow Houttuynia cordata to achieve high yield?

Houttuynia cordata , also known as fish mint , is a very popular wild vegetable. It is widely distributed in Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan, and is now artificially cultivated in many areas. So how to grow Houttuynia cordata to achieve high yield? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Site selection

Houttuynia cordata is highly adaptable and is not very demanding on soil. In order to make the rhizomes more fertile, it is necessary to choose sandy soil with a deep soil layer, strong water and fertilizer retention capacity, convenient drainage and irrigation, and high organic matter content. The Houttuynia cordata grown in such land has long rhizomes and plump and tender roots.

2. Base fertilizer

When planting Houttuynia cordata, the base fertilizer must be sufficient, and the base fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer . You can apply sufficient farmyard manure, 3000 kg of superphosphate, and 50 kg of superphosphate, and 25-30 kg of potassium sulfate per mu.

3. Reproduction

Houttuynia cordata can be propagated by division, cuttings and rhizomes. Rhizome propagation can be carried out in February and March. Dig out the white and thick rhizomes, cut them into small sections with more than two axillary buds, and dig shallow trenches in the seedbed or field to raise seedlings or transplant them. Dig trenches or holes for planting at a spacing of 0.14m x 0.20m between rows and plants. Water after planting to keep the soil moist.

4. Watering

Water the Houttuynia cordata once 3-4 days after planting. Water should be applied in the morning and evening to keep the soil within 75% to 809% of its maximum water holding capacity. From the time the seedlings emerge throughout the growing period, the soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged.

5. Topdressing

Top dressing should be done every time the young shoots of Houttuynia cordata are picked. In early spring, when the young shoots of Houttuynia cordata have not yet sprouted, you can water it with rotted manure water. During the peak growth period of stems and leaves, a large amount of fertilizer is required, and 10 to 15 kilograms of compound fertilizer can be applied per mu. When the Houttuynia cordata enters the growth period, you can spray it with 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate once every month, which is beneficial to the growth of rhizomes and can greatly increase the yield of Houttuynia cordata.

6. Picking

For plants that grow too vigorously, you should pinch the top to suppress side branches. In order to use nutrients for the growth of underground stems, the flower buds should be removed as soon as they appear, and then removed as soon as they appear.

7. Harvest

The young leaves are edible. The younger leaves and underground stems are harvested from March to May. Harvested in batches from July to September. The edible underground stems can be dug from September of the current year to March of the following year. When digging up underground stems, you can use a knife to cut off the above-ground stems and leaves, then dig them out, shake off the dirt, and wash them.

That’s it