When is the best time to plant rapeseed?

Rapeseed, also known as oil cabbage , is mainly used for oil extraction. It is planted in many areas of China. The ornamental value of rapeseed flowers is very high when they are in full bloom. So when is the best time to plant rapeseed? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant rapeseed?

In my country, rapeseed is divided into winter rapeseed and spring rapeseed. Winter rapeseed is mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Basin. It is sown in early to mid-September and transplanted in mid-to-late October. Spring rapeseed is concentrated in the Northeast and Northwest regions and is sown at the end of April.

How to plant rapeseed

1. Seed selection and screening

Choose high-quality rapeseed seeds according to local climate and soil conditions. You can choose rapeseed varieties that grow fast, have strong disease resistance, and late bolting. When screening seeds, you should choose seeds that are full, uniform, and not damaged by pests and diseases.

2. Seed treatment

Before sowing rapeseed, soak the seeds in 10% salt water for 5 minutes, stirring continuously to clean the dust and bacteria on the surface of the seeds. Rinse with clean water and sow after drying.

3. Site selection and land preparation

When selecting a site, pay attention to the irrigation and drainage conditions and soil looseness. Rapeseed has a well-developed root system, and seedlings grown in deep soil will be stronger. After selecting the site, first dig a straight trench with a width of 30cm and a horizontal trench in the middle. After digging the trench, spread a layer of crushed soil, clear away the stones, and remove the hard objects in the soil during deep plowing to increase the looseness of the soil. If the soil is hard underneath, deep tillage can be done with the help of machinery.

4. Sowing and seedling raising

Rapeseed planting methods are mainly divided into direct seeding and transplanting. Direct seeding means planting on a leveled and fertilized seedbed in the form of throwing seeds. Generally, the yield of transplanted rapeseed can be increased by 30%. Rapeseed seedlings grow quickly, and late thinning will result in tall or bent-legged seedlings. Generally, thinning is done 2-3 times, with the first thinning being done after all the seedlings are gathered to ensure that the seedlings are not crowded. When there is one true leaf, the distance between seedlings can be kept at 3-6 cm, so that there are no leaves overlapping between seedlings; when there are three true leaves, the seedlings can be transplanted, keeping the distance between seedlings about 8-9 cm.

5. Transplanting and planting

Generally, it is best to transplant the seedlings at 25-35 days old. The effective growth period should be 40-50 days before winter to help form strong seedlings to overwinter. In order to avoid damaging the roots and carry more soil when taking the seedlings, wet the seedbed the day before taking the seedlings. When transplanting, the row spacing is 40 cm, the plant spacing is 30 cm, 1-2 plants are planted in each hole, and more than 6,000 plants are planted per mu.

6. Field management

After the rapeseed is transplanted and turns green, shallow plowing and loosening the soil should be done to promote root growth and strengthen the seedlings. Weeds affect planting, so weeding work must be done well to prevent them from competing for nutrients and water for rapeseed seedlings and affecting their normal growth. Rapeseed has a long growing period, large plants, and many leaves, and requires sufficient water to promote growth. If there is too much rainfall, irrigation and drainage must be done to ensure normal growth of rapeseed.

That’s it