Stachys affinis Planting Method and Yield Explained in Detail

AbstractPlanting method: Stachys affinis should be planted in loose, fertile sandy soil with good drainage and irrigation conditions. After ploughing, apply base fertilizer. It can be propagated from tubers. The sowing depth is about 5-7cm, the plant spacing is 15cm, and the row spacing is about 30-45cm. Sow about 1-2 seeds per hole, then cover with soil, firm it down and water. Apply a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer as a top dressing once each in May and July, and increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in August. Yield: the yield per mu is about 1500 kg.

I. Market prospects of Stachys affinis

1. The fruit of Stachys affinis is white, fairly crisp in texture, sweet and tasty. It can be intercropped with spring wheat and winter wheat. Under normal conditions, the yield per mu can reach about 1500 kg. It is sold to Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and other places, and the economic income per mu is about 4500 yuan.

2. Stachys affinis is a green health food, rich in nutrients, and has a special aroma. When cooked it is fairly soft. After processing and pickling, it can also be used as medicine and can treat many diseases. At the same time, it can also serve as a new raw material for the industrial extraction of stachyose, and its economic benefits are relatively considerable.

II. Site selection and land preparation

1. Stachys affinis is relatively cold-tolerant and heat-tolerant, likes fertilizer and fears waterlogging, and has a fairly strong ability to adapt to the environment. Generally, the probability of pests and diseases occurring is relatively small. It should be planted in sandy soil areas with good drainage and irrigation conditions that are loose and fertile.

2. After choosing the planting site, plough and prepare the land in autumn, and expose it to the sun to disinfect and sterilize it, thereby reducing overwintering sources of pests and diseases. Apply about 1500 kg of farmyard manure per mu, together with 100 kg of compound fertilizer, and when planting time comes, level and harrow it finely.

III. Reasonable close planting

1. Stachys affinis is generally propagated from tubers. Before planting, choose suitable varieties to plant according to the soil conditions and local climate. About 10,000-15,000 plants can be planted per mu, and the sowing rate is about 100 kg.

2. Generally, once the ground has thawed, furrows can be opened for sowing. Choose robust tubers free of disease for sowing. The sowing depth should not be too deep or too shallow; it is about 5-7cm, the plant spacing is 15cm, and the row spacing is about 30-45cm. Sow about 1-2 seeds per hole, then cover with soil, firm it down and water.

IV. Reasonable water and fertilizer

 1. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before planting. In May-June, a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing, with 10 kg of urea per mu; apply once more in July. By August, during the tuber expansion period, increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with about 30 kg of diammonium phosphate per mu, which can promote tuber expansion.

2. Stachys affinis needs timely watering during drought, but it should not be excessive. In the rainy season, drain water promptly to avoid root rot.

V. Later management

1. After the seedlings emerge, to loosen the soil, cultivate and weed regularly, thereby promoting rhizome growth and allowing the seedlings to grow normally. For general weeding, large-scale planting can use low-toxicity herbicides, while for small areas manual weeding is recommended.

2. During the plant's growth process, pruning can be carried out appropriately in order to inhibit its growth.