The main differences are the two types of kale on leaf shape and color of flowers. Ground water spinach (Ipomoea reptans) bright green leaves with pointed ends. Kale flower color white ground.
Meanwhile, water spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica) rather dark green leaves with a rounded tip or blunt so look wider. Flower color purple kale tends water. In addition to physical differences, habitual ways of harvesting these two different types of kale. Kale crop land in a manner revoked, while the water is harvested kale dengnan cut way.
Preparation of seed
To get a good crop, of course, should be a good seed selection anyway. There are a number of improved seed varieties of kale are famous like Silk and Bangkok. Silk seed is the seed of a kale Hawaiian introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture in the 1980s. However, the widely circulated today is the output kale Bisi and Red Arrows and kale origin as Sidoarjo in East Java. Rather difficult to trace kale varieties in the market.
Good ground kale seed is seed viability of more than 95 percent and growing upright at least until the age of 8 weeks. Because kale growing land spreading is not so attractive market. Try not to use seeds that have been stored for more than one year. Because productivity will decline.
Cultivation and fertilization basic
In the cultivation of land kale hoeing the soil should be treated with so loose and make the beds with a width of 1 meter and adjust the length of the plot. The distance between beds 30-40 cm, its function as drainage and roads for maintenance and harvesting.
For the cultivation of organic kale, prepare a basic fertilizer from organic fertilizer, manure can use mature or compost. Manure is more practical because it does not have to prepare intensively, quite pin it to dry before use. While the preparation of compost is relatively longer.
When using manure, better choose chicken manure than goat or cow dung. Because the chicken manure decomposes faster, so it fits with the cyclical harvest kale plants quickly. Sprinkle the fertilizer over the beds, approximately 10 tonnes per hectare. Then let stand for 2-3 days.
Planting on the cultivation of land kale can be stocked directly or ditugal. Meanwhile, how planted and then moved not very economical for the cultivation of land kale. How to stocked directly done by sowing seeds on the beds. This method is fast and suitable performed in the lack of people or expensive labor costs.
The weakness of this method is wasteful in the use of seeds, because they can spend 5-10 pounds of seed per acre. This method requires skilled workers for the results stocking evenly. It's just hard to get an ideal plant population density. Where the density is ideal for kale plants 50,000 trees per hectare.
The second way is, with ditugal. Good in this way we can arrange a spacing that can be obtained ideal plant population density. The distance between drill holes is 10 x 5 cm, every hole filled with 2-3 seeds. Only in this way takes more labor because of his work will be longer. Making the planting hole should not be too deep, because the cultivation of land does not require rooting kale is too strong.
Maintenance and advanced fertilization
In the cultivation of land is not required kale intensive fertilizer. Kale land is resistant crops on soil fertility conditions are. Actually, the initial fertilization is enough to provide nutrients to the plants until they are ready to harvest. But it really depends on the condition of soil fertility respectively. Former land previously cultivated legume plants are relatively not require additional fertilizer enough with basic organic fertilizer that has been given at the beginning.
Only if the plant looks less fertile marked with green color faded need additional fertilizer. Kale ground is very responsive to nitrogen. If necessary can be given organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen such as chicken manure mature compost mixed with chaff or nitrogen rich.
Subsequent maintenance that must be considered is watering. Kale land requires a lot of water to grow. However, if rainfall is too high, the leaves are produced will be ugly. In the dry season need regular watering, every morning and afternoon. If the plants look withered and yellow in daylight, do also watering with enough intensity. The lack of intensity scorching daytime watering can make the plants die.
The next thing is weeding, although spinach is a plant faster cycle times when the young plants can not compete with the grass. Especially when the initial stocking, growth of seeds into plants relatively little long so the potential is quite high weeds overtaken. If there is something like this, the weeds must be quickly removed with revoked.
Pests that attack kale include grasshoppers, armyworm (Spodotera litura) and aphids from (Myzus persicae and Aphyds types gossypii). Armyworm attack symptoms are leaf perforated, perforated and serrated periphery dau bites. While aphids make plants stunted and warped dau. Because aphids absorb fluids from plants.
While the disease is a disease that usually attacks the white rust (Albigo Ipomoeae Panduratae). When this disease will appear white spots on the leaves then be expanded. In organic farming land kale, pest management should be integrated. To reduce the risk of pests and diseases, crop rotation is necessary, adjust the spacing of and conduct proper watering. Or if forced to use biological pesticides like neem leaves, yam, and lemongrass.
Harvest and marketing
Kale cultivation land of the early spread to harvest takes 30-45 days. Harvesting can be done in two ways cut and removed. Especially for organic kale, harvesting should be done with revoked. Because organic kale market tastes, the modern markets, preferring complete kale plants with roots. Harvesting by way revoked will produce kale plants as much as 23 tons per hectare.
Before in containers and shipped to market, should kale are deprived of land cleared first. Washing is done by running water or clean water to avoid harmful contaminants. Place the spinach in a humid and do not stung direct sunlight.