How to grow Polygala tenuifolia? Planting techniques, timing and income per mu

SummaryPlanting time: spring sowing is from March to April, autumn sowing is from mid-October to early November. Site selection and land preparation: plant in sandy or semi-sandy soil on high ground with fertile soil layers. Fertilizing and plowing: apply manure, phosphate fertilizer, potash fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer. Seed selection and treatment: select plump, disease-free seeds and soak them. Sowing: sow with a seeder specially designed for Chinese medicinal materials. Income per mu: 3000-4000 yuan.

I. Planting time

Polygala tenuifolia can be direct-sown or raised as seedlings and then transplanted. Spring sowing is from March to April, and autumn sowing is from mid-October to early November; autumn-sown seeds emerge in the spring of the second year. Agriculture has now entered the age of mechanization, so mechanization makes planting and production more convenient, saving time and labor.

II. Site selection and land preparation

Polygala tenuifolia is fairly adaptable and is best planted in sandy or semi-sandy soil that is on high ground, sunny, with deep, fertile soil layers and good drainage.

III. Fertilizing and plowing

Before planting, apply 2000-2500 kg of manure, 100 kg of phosphate fertilizer, 10 kg of potash fertilizer and an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer per mu, using the broadcast method to spread the fertilizer evenly over the ground. Then use large machinery or a small tractor to deep-plow the land more than 30 cm, so that the fertilizer and soil are fully mixed. Then level and harrow it fine, and make raised beds 1.3 m wide with furrows 40 cm wide; the furrow bottoms should be level and drainage should be smooth.

IV. Seed selection and treatment

Select plump, disease-free seeds, soak them in water for 12 hours, then take them out and mix them evenly with twice their volume of wet sand. Pile them in a cool place, keep the moisture at a suitable level, and stir once a day. After a few days, when a bud can be squeezed out with a fingernail, sow them. The emergence rate is high and even. Do not sow dry seeds directly, as the germination rate is relatively low that way.

V. Sowing

(1) First mix the treated seeds with a continuous-cropping agent for Chinese medicinal materials before sowing, which helps increase yield, strengthens the seeds' disease resistance and reduces the incidence of pests and diseases. The amount of continuous-cropping agent used can be increased as appropriate according to the severity of continuous-cropping disease in the area. With a row spacing of 21-24 cm and a furrow depth of 1-1.5 cm, scatter the seeds and then press lightly once or cover with wheat bran to help preserve soil moisture.

(2) A seeder specially designed for Chinese medicinal materials can be used; then adjust the row spacing and depth, and opening the furrows, sowing, covering with soil and compacting are completed in one step. The seeding rate is 3-4 kg per mu. Alternatively, large machinery can be used for sowing by adjusting the depth and row spacing; it is generally driven by a tractor and is more suitable for large-area planting. Water after sowing; if the soil is moist, watering is not necessary. About 15 days after sowing, the seedlings will emerge.

VI. Raising seedlings and transplanting

The method of raising Polygala tenuifolia seedlings is the same as for direct sowing; simply increase the seeding rate per mu appropriately. The seeding rate is 10 kg per mu, which can provide seedlings to transplant 8-10 mu of land. After 1 year of cultivation, transplant in late autumn of that year or early spring of the following year.

VII. Income per mu

Commercial Polygala tenuifolia is priced according to quality, with a market price of 30-110 yuan/kg, a yield of 250-300 kg per mu, and an income per mu of 3000-4000 yuan.