Chinese herbal medicine planting technology

With the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry, Chinese medicinal materials have become popular, so Chinese herbal medicines are artificially cultivated in many areas. If you want to grow Chinese herbal medicine, how do you grow it? Here is an introduction to Chinese herbal medicine cultivation techniques .

1. Site selection

You should choose loam or sandy loam with deep soil, loose and fertile soil, strong water and fertilizer retention capacity, rich in humus, and good drainage conditions. Before sowing, you should deep plow and improve the soil, apply fertilizer, and increase the application of organic fertilizer to make the roots of medicinal materials go deeper into the ground, especially for root medicinal materials, the roots can go as deep as 50cm.

2. Planting

There are two methods of propagation of Chinese medicinal materials: sexual and asexual. Sexual reproduction, by sowing seeds, such as Astragalus, Scutellaria, Diaojiangnan, Carthamus, Bupleurum, Coix, Angelica dahurica, Bupleurum, Saposhnikovia and many medicinal materials in the Cruciferae and Amaranthaceae families. Asexual reproduction uses nutritional organs such as stems, leaves, buds, and roots for reproduction, such as Rehmannia, Scrophularia, Peony, Paeonia lactiflora, Licorice, Anemarrhena, Fritillaria, etc.

3. Sowing period

Most Chinese medicinal materials are suitable for sowing in spring or autumn. Annual plants with poor cold resistance, such as Coix, Perilla, Cassia seed , Safflower, and Schizonepeta, are suitable for sowing in spring. In the north, perennial herbs such as licorice, astragalus, platycodon, and scutellaria are suitable for spring sowing, but can also be sown in summer.

4. Sowing depth

The sowing depth is twice the diameter of the seed, or several times, such as one-third, or two-thirds of the first joint of the index finger, depending on the size of the seed. Most seeds can germinate in 10 days to half a month if the soil temperature is suitable and there is sufficient water, such as Rhizoma Coptidis, Radix Scutellariae, Licorice, etc. Some seeds need to be stored in sand, and such seeds may germinate more slowly, such as Rhizoma Belamcandae.

5. Thinning and finalizing seedlings

Thinning should be carried out within 3 to 5 days after the cotyledons emerge from the soil, and seedlings that are too dense, weak, or infected with diseases and insects should be removed. When the seedlings grow to about 10 cm, they should be transplanted in time. The seedling density should be flexibly controlled depending on the variety and seedling growth. Appropriate density is the key to increasing production.

6. Cultivation and soil cultivation

Intertillage can loosen the soil, eliminate weeds, and increase soil permeability. For example, plants such as Radix Rehmanniae and Rehmanniae require multiple intertillage for their full growth. Soil cultivation can protect buds, increase ground temperature, and facilitate the enlargement of tubers and rhizomes, such as Yuanshen and Pinellia.

7. Water and fertilizer management

Top dressing and irrigation should be carried out in time according to the growth of medicinal materials and soil quality. The first topdressing should be carried out when the seedlings begin to grow in spring. During the vigorous growth period of Chinese medicinal materials from June to August, 2-3 topdressing fertilizers should be applied. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied in early October. During rainy seasons, we must strengthen the management of drainage facilities and drain water in a timely manner to prevent waterlogging.

8. Weeding

Weed control in medicinal fields is an arduous task, as the seedlings are weak and take a long time to grow, so weeding must be done multiple times. Some physical methods can be used for weeding, such as manual weeding or weeding, covering with film, etc.

That’s it