Lao Zhang inspected the chili peppers harvested last autumn, and the red chili peppers were neatly arranged, and the quality and quantity were sufficient.
Lao Zhang didn't have the slightest joy in his heart, and he repeatedly calculated the number of this harvest in his mind, and there was still a big gap between it and his expected goal.
He paced back and forth in the field, under the shade of rows of chili peppers, trying to find the crux of the problem.
Lao Zhang's face was solemn, and his heart was full of loss. At this time, a gust of wind blew, and the pepper branches rattled. Lao Zhang looked up, there was a few pepper growth information, the leaves were yellow, and the fruits were small.
"Yes!" Lao Zhang suddenly realized that the key to the problem is the uneven quality of seedlings. Healthy and strong seedlings will naturally grow into flourishing and fruitful adult plants.
An idea was formed in Lao Zhang's mind, and in order to obtain a bumper harvest, we must start from cultivating high-quality seedlings! A seedling raising, a hundred years of harvest, this is Lao Zhang's experience accumulated over many years of planting.
In mid-March, spring returns to the earth, and the sun warms everything. Lao Zhang chose the furrow in advance, which is the place where beans were planted in previous years, which can avoid continuous cropping of diseases and insects. He sweated like rain, hoeed the ground, and had an excited smile on his face.
It takes skill to mix seedling soil, and the ratio of Lao Zhang is combined with fertile black soil, well-rotted farmhouse fertilizer and plant ash to cultivate a loose and fertile cultivation substrate. Watering, stacking, and watering again, the temperature of fermentation releases nutrients.
The seedling soil was ready to stop, and Lao Zhang carefully grabbed a handful of pepper seeds. This is the third generation of his carefully selected varieties from high-quality varieties, which have been germinated and sun-dried, preserving their vigorous vitality.
Lao Zhang sowed the seeds one by one with a row spacing of 40 centimeters and a plant spacing of 35 centimeters, and buried them in the thick soil.
After planting, Lao Zhang took a deep breath and wiped his sweat. Watering first, then covering with straw to protect against cold and moisture, locks in the best time for germination.
As the April sun became fierce, Lao Zhang was worried that the pepper seedlings would get sunburned. He shaded the seedbed with tulle and adjusted the light intensity. Occasionally, a few plants had cataplexy, and Lao Zhang immediately pulled them out to prevent the spread.
In mid-May, the vast majority of pepper seedlings reached the transplanting standard, and Lao Zhang smiled with satisfaction. He crouched down, caressing the fresh green leaves, the thick stems, rubbing the dirt, and feeling the expanding roots under the stems.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lao Zhang caught a glimpse of a few stunted, weak seedlings and immediately removed them from the healthy population. It's like when they are sick, they will be isolated and treated, so that they also have the opportunity to recuperate alone.
"Trust me, it's going to be fine!" Lao Zhang swore softly to those weak, his eyes flashing with love and firmness.
On the day of transplanting, Lao Zhang came to the site early to arrange. He sweated like rain and carefully transplanted the seedlings that he had nurtured for two months. Looking at the rows of neat and strong young plants, Lao Zhang's eyes were red with excitement.
In the golden autumn of October, the courtyard is covered with red and bright peppers. Lao Zhang took a photo and uploaded it to the circle of friends, proudly marking the "harvest season". Neighbors in the same village came to congratulate and praised Lao Zhang's planting skills and vision.
Lao Zhang waved his hand and brought these compliments, and he knew that this year's success depended on the efforts of those days and nights to care for the seedlings. It is the sweat and hard work that have brought about the lights and joyful scenes of thousands of homes today.
The harvest is not only a material harvest, but also the ecstasy in Lao Zhang's heart. He decided to use his personal experience to help the young people in the village who had just taken over the cultivation to build a kingdom of chili harvests.
Lao Zhang thought to himself, maybe I can't plant this land in my life. But I can pass on the seeds, water the experience, grow with heaven and earth, and the harvest will not stop from people. Planting a tree is the hardest, and raising a seedling is the most tiring.