How and when to plant motherwort

The suitable planting time of motherwort

Early-maturing varieties of motherwort can be sown in spring, summer and autumn, while winter motherwort must be sown in autumn. The best time for sowing in spring is from March to April. In the north, summer sowing is used to utilize summer fallow land for planting, while autumn sowing is mostly adopted in areas with lower temperatures.

Motherwort planting methods and key points

1. Site selection and land preparation: Before sowing motherwort, the land should be prepared. When renovating the soil, apply fully decomposed compost or manure as base fertilizer, then rake and level the soil. For row sowing, make high ridges 130 cm wide. For hole sowing, the ridges do not need to be prepared, but drainage ditches must be dug.

2. Seed treatment: Choose good quality motherwort seeds. Stir them with ashes before sowing, and then mix the seeds with human and animal feces and urine and new lipid film. This can increase the ability to resist diseases, strengthen respiration intensity, and improve seed germination rate.

3. Sowing method: There are three ways to sow motherwort: row sowing, hole sowing and broadcast sowing. Row sowing is often used in plain areas, hole sowing is often used on slopes, and broadcast sowing is rarely used. Mix the seeds with ash or fine soil and fertilizer before sowing, and cover them with a thin layer of soil after sowing.

Main points for daily management of motherwort

1. Water and fertilizer management: After each inter-row cultivation and weeding, you can apply fertilizer once for Motherwort. Nitrogen fertilizer can be selected, such as urea, ammonium sulfate, cake fertilizer, etc. Pay attention to watering when applying fertilizer, and avoid excessive concentration of fertilizer to avoid hurting the seedlings. Prevent water accumulation when the rain is concentrated in the rainy season.

2. Pest and disease control: Common diseases during the growth period of Motherwort are powdery mildew and sclerotinia, which can be controlled by spraying rust-mellow, Rhodococcus or Bordeaux mixture. The common insect pest is aphids, which can be controlled with chemical preparations, and cutworms can be killed artificially.