Kangkong, or water spinach, is among the leaves that grow fast. It’s rich in vitamin C, which serves as an antioxidant, potassium, calcium, and iron.
The leafy vegetable usually grows in loose soil rich in organic matter and has a pH of 5.3 to 8.5, like warm and humid areas. Kangkong will thrive well when planted during months when its days are longer than its nights.
There are two types of kangkong seeds. One usually grows in watery areas and has broad leaves, while the other thrives in the ground and has narrow leaves, which most farmers and organizations recommend.
When preparing the land, till the soil twice and make a planting bed one meter wide. Make a shallow horizontal line or furrow on the bed with an interval of 10 to 15 centimeters and a depth of 2.5 centimeters. Otherwise, make furrows in the seedling with an interval of seven to ten centimeters. Soak the seeds in warm water for four hours. Dry them in the air, sprinkle them thinly on the seedling, and cover them with soil.
Soak the coconut seeds in clean water for 16 hours. Plant it in furrows spaced five centimeters apart. Apply rotted animal manure compost or vermicompost in the garden beds at two kilograms per square meter before planting.
After 10 to 15 days after planting, add compost or vermicompost to the garden beds at the rate of three kilograms per square meter. Applying Fermented plant juice (FPJ) is also advisable. Water the plant daily or as needed because it needs a lot of water.
Diseases and pests are not too much of a problem in kankong, but it is usually affected by leaf-damaging bugs, such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, and mealybugs. Spraying chili juice (100 grams of crushed chili in 16 liters of water) on insects can help control the problem.
Kangkong can be harvested 20 to 40 days after planting, depending on which seed. Do this early or in the afternoon to prevent wilting of the leaves.
This information is from the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute.