How to grow kailan plant is a common question of many. Kailan is a plant that originally comes from china and japan. In the past years, it has been introduced to the Philippines and now dominates Filipino markets by flooding stalls in wet markets with big bunches of kailan at dirt-cheap prices.
The plant can be kept as ornamental or harvested for its vegetables. Kailan contains high levels of calcium, iron, and vitamin C, so it is popular as a vegetable in Asian countries. In Asia, kailan is believed to enhance the immune system, boost health and prevent cancer.
The botanical name of kailan is Isodendrion litorale (L.) Merry. It commonly refers to the Genus Isodendrion under the family Orobanchaceae. Kailan’s scientific name comes from its type specimen, Isodendryon Litorale from Mindanao, Philippines.
Contents
What is kailan?
Kailan is a member of the family Orobanchaceae, with a scientific name of Isodendrion Litorale (L.) Merry. It is a perennial herb that grows in tropical and subtropical climates, especially in China, Japan, Vietnam, and India. Kailan is also called Chinese Lantern and King of the Grill.
Kailan leaves are served raw or cooked as food while the roots and stems are usually boiled to make tea or to produce medicine.
how to grow kailan plant?
The way to grow Kailan is through stem cuttings. It is very sensitive in growth and needs constant care, especially when the stems are cut. For kailan, a warm sunny place is ideal for germination. Put the pot on a warm spot (no more than 25ºC) and water regularly. For your plant to bloom, temperatures should be about 23-27 Celsius for best results.
The details of growing or cultivating Kailan are described below
Soil preparation
potting soil
A mixture of loose black soil, vermiculite, and a small amount of common garden fertilizer is adequate. You may use commercial potting soil from a nursery or you can also prepare your soil. Work in liberal compost (at least 40%) into the black garden soil until completely blended before adding peat moss and vermiculite.
To avoid excess water loss keep the mix slightly on the dry side. Use good drainage material like perlite to improve drainage if needed.
Optimal soil PH
6.0 – 6.8
Best 2 systems to grow kailan plant
Grow From Seed?
Fresh seeds are very hard so they need to be soaked in water overnight. Seeds should be planted as soon as possible after collection. Seed treatment: soak seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing. Soaking seeds can improve the germination rate of some types of seeds. Seedlings should be transplanted within 2 weeks after germination or the roots will become entangled and cause the plant to lean or even fall over.
Grow From Cuttings?
If you do not have access to Chinese spinach seeds, you may choose to grow them from cuttings as well. Simply choose a healthy bundle of spinach leaves when you buy them at the market. (Typically wet market sellers tend to sell Chinese spinach with their roots still on; for ease of packaging and convenience, the supermarkets tend to have them chopped off).
But leave the bottom 15cm portion, approximately up to the 4th leaf node for planting. Soak this lower portion of the cuttings in water for a week, noting to change the water every couple of days. Transplant the cuttings to the ground or a container filled with soil as soon as the roots appear.
Water plenty and keep in the shade at the beginning till the plant stabilizes. After which, you may expose the Kang kong plant to full sun. Continue watering good amounts of water -these Bayam plants thrive in the moisture and heat!
Watering
Germinated, Kai Lan will need plenty of sunlight (more than the 4 hours of sunlight required in the germination stage). For mature plants, you would be looking at providing at the very least 6 hours of sunlight to the plant. While germinating, keep soil moist Kai Lan loves the moisture and the heat!
Conclusion
Growing Kang kong is easy but it does require some special attention. With proper care and good care, one can expect a harvest of about 50-60% of the initial stem (old stem left after cutting) within about 4 months. It is best to keep the plant in a cool and relatively dry place during the winter months. Thank you for viewing this article on how to grow the kailan plant.
