How many days does it take for water spinach to sprout?

Water spinach , also known as iris, is an annual or perennial climbing herb native to China's tropical rainy regions. It is now widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and its south. So when planting water spinach, how many days does it take for its seeds to germinate? Let’s learn more about it below.

How many days does it take for water spinach to sprout?

The germination speed of water spinach is affected by factors such as temperature, humidity and seed quality. Generally speaking, under suitable conditions, it takes about 3 to 7 days for water spinach seeds to germinate after sowing.

How to process water spinach seeds to make them germinate quickly?

1. Seed selection

Choose seeds with full grains and appropriate size, and avoid using seeds that are dry, wounded, or have damaged seed coats. These healthier seeds have a higher germination potential19.

2. Seed soaking

Seed soaking is a key step to increase germination speed. Soaking water spinach seeds in warm water can soften the seed coat and promote the seeds to absorb water. The specific method is as follows:

(1) Soak in warm water: Soak the seeds in warm water at 30-40°C for about 24 hours. This step can significantly increase the germination rate of seeds17.

(2) Seed soaking with chemicals: Mix chlorpyrifos, algae extract, citric acid , potassium nitrate and other substances with water to make a seed soaking agent, and soak the seeds in it for about half an hour. During the soaking process, the seeds should be stirred constantly to ensure that they are fully exposed to the agent. After soaking the seeds, wash them with clean water.

3. Germination treatment

Spread the soaked seeds on moist gauze or paper towels and place in a warm, dark environment to keep moist. Usually after 2-3 days, the seeds will begin to germinate and can be sown.

4. Sow seeds correctly

(1) Sowing time: Open-field planting of water spinach can generally start in April to July. Its seeds can germinate when the temperature is above 15℃, and the most suitable temperature during its growth period is 25-35℃. It has strong heat resistance.

(2) Sowing method: When direct sowing water spinach, sow 3-5 seeds per hole, with a seed rate of 2.5-3.0 kg per mu. For seedling raising and transplanting, the seedlings are thinned out by scattering in the seedling bed. After sowing, the seeds are covered with 1 cm of soil. Each acre of planting field requires a seedbed area of ​​50-60 square meters and the seed amount is about 2.0 kg.

In general, the skin of water spinach seeds is hard, so if they are sown directly, the germination speed will be very slow and may even cause the seeds to rot. Therefore, in order to make it germinate quickly, in addition to mastering the correct sowing techniques, some details such as seed treatment before sowing should also be paid special attention to.