How to grow Aralia elata? Cultivation methods and key technical points
AbstractChoosing a planting site: choose barren hills and wasteland with fertile, loose soil and a relatively thick soil layer for planting. Field planting: plant in the first and middle ten days of April each spring; before planting, plow the soil deeply and dig the planting holes well; when planting, hold the seedlings upright so the roots spread out, then cover with soil. Later management: after planting, weed promptly and control pests and diseases; in the second to third year after planting, expand the holes, prune and shape the plants; in the fourth to fifth year, renewal and sprout promotion are needed. Harvesting: harvest from April to May; do not harvest male buds.
I. What Aralia elata is
1. Aralia elata is also called Aralia, Aralia elata tooth, Aralia elata tender bud, Aralia elata head vegetable, Aralia elata crow, and so on. It is a perennial deciduous thorny shrub of the Araliaceae family.
2. The tender buds and tender stems and leaves of Aralia elata are low in fat and low in sugar and rich in vitamins and fiber. They are a pollution-free, purely green health woody wild mountain vegetable that can be eaten as a vegetable. They are not only uniquely fragrant and delicious but also rich in nutrients, such as arginine, lysine, and a variety of other amino acids needed by the human body, as well as a variety of inorganic nutrient elements. They have such reputations as “king of wild mountain vegetables”, “tree ginseng”, and “the world's number one treasure”.
3. It also has certain medicinal value, with liver-protecting, strengthening, and stimulating effects on the human body, and has a certain effect on acute and chronic inflammation and various neurasthenia conditions. In traditional Chinese medicine, it also has effects such as tonifying qi and calming the mind and strengthening essence and nourishing the kidneys.
II. How to grow Aralia elata
1. Choosing a planting site
First choose the planting site. It should be selected from barren hills, open spaces under forests, and wasteland with loose, fertile soil and a soil layer more than 10cm thick. In the autumn of the year before planting, the site needs to be cleared and prepared, removing tree roots and larger stones, and then the land is prepared in spring.
2. Field planting
Generally, field planting is carried out in the first and middle ten days of April each spring, once the soil has thawed more than 20cm. In autumn, it can be done after Aralia elata sheds its leaves and before the soil freezes. Before planting, the land needs to be plowed deeply, then planting holes are dug. When planting, the seedling stem must be kept upright so the root system spreads fully, and finally soil is covered over it.
3. Later management
(1) After planting is completed, weed promptly. Pests and diseases are likely to occur during the growing season, so low-toxicity agents or biological pesticides need to be used promptly for control.
(2) In the spring of the second to third year after planting, the holes need to be expanded. After spring bud harvesting is finished, pruning and branch training need to be carried out technically, so as to avoid the plants being too tall and causing inconvenience for later harvesting, and at the same time it can also promote more branches, thereby increasing yield. Pruning is generally carried out in the middle and last ten days of May and cannot be too late.
(3) In the fourth to fifth year after planting, renewal and sprout promotion are needed at this time. After the soil thaws in spring, the roots around the old plants need to be cut to promote new plants to sprout. After the tender leaves are harvested, the old plants can be cut off from the base.
4. Harvesting
The tender leaves of Aralia elata are generally harvested from the end of April to the end of May. They can be harvested when the buds have grown to 6-10cm and have not yet unfolded leaves. Be sure not to harvest male buds. Male buds are purple, relatively slender, have hard thorns, and are not edible.