Soilless vegetable cultivation methods and techniques

With the continuous development of agricultural technology, soilless cultivation technology has become an important part of modern agricultural production. The advantages of this technology are high yield, good quality, easy management, etc. At the same time, it can also avoid problems such as soil pollution and continuous cropping obstacles. So what are the methods and techniques for growing vegetables without soil? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Planting method

1. Hydroponics

It is to cultivate crops by soaking their roots directly in water. But it should be noted that the water here is not the pure water we see in daily life, but a nutrient solution. Using nutrient solution instead of soil can provide crops with the nutrients and water they need to grow.

2. Substrate culture

Substrate cultivation refers to the use of solid mechanisms to fix the root system, through watering nutrient solution or using solid fertilizer, so that crops can absorb more nutrients and oxygen and other nutrients. It is a more commonly used soilless cultivation technology.

3. Open rock wool culture

Open rockwool cultivation means planting vegetables in rockwool, and then dripping nutrient solution into the rockwool planting mat through drip irrigation, so that sufficient nutrients can be absorbed. If there are excess nutrients, they can also flow out from the bottom of the planting mat and be discharged outdoors. This method is both convenient and scientific.

2. Technical points

1. Matrix selection

When selecting vegetable substrates, you need to choose materials with excellent air permeability, low cost, high performance and strong water retention. The more common matrices are slag and gravel.

2. Preparation before sowing

First, you need to select the vegetables to be cultivated, choose high-quality varieties, soak them, and then start germination to facilitate the germination and emergence of the seeds. In addition, the large-scale use of soilless cultivation generally requires a large investment and the preparation of a variety of facilities, usually requiring the installation of nutrient solution tanks, cultivation beds and nutrient solution systems.

3. Cultivation methods

In the process of soilless cultivation of vegetables, you need to prepare planting bags first. Generally, white polyethylene plastic bags with a thickness of 0.1 mm and a width of 7 cm are selected. After the plastic bags are folded into double layers, ropes are put on both sides to make the bags appear as "U"-shaped bags with a cross-section of 20 cm.

4. Nutrient solution management

Group the macro-, medium- and trace-element fertilizers and nutrient solution fertilizers and add them directly to the substrate, that is, separate the fertilizers that can form chemical precipitation. First add one group of fertilizers into the fertilizer tank. During the drip irrigation process, dissolve the fertilizers and drip them into the substrate. When they are fully dissolved, stop the drip irrigation and add another group of fertilizers until the drip irrigation is finished.

How to choose the cultivation medium ? Soilless culture substrate method - Image copyright belongs to All">

The above is a brief sharing of methods and techniques for soilless vegetable cultivation. In short, although it is a new technology, it is not a very complicated high-tech and is relatively simple and easy to learn. In addition to preparing the planting bags before planting, the substrate is also a very important material, and subsequent related management work such as nutrient solution will be done.