Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Water Culture Planting of Aralia elata Shoots

AbstractFor water culture of Aralia elata shoots, select stems with a diameter of 1.5 cm or more before planting, and keep 2 buds at the base of each stem, which helps promote new branch sprouting the following year. The water bed specifications are 1.2 m wide and about 15-20 cm high, with a 30 cm walkway between beds, a 70 cm wide walkway along the back wall of the greenhouse, and 0.5 m left along the front bottom edge of the greenhouse. Then place wooden frames and cover with plastic film, and dig 1 drainage ditch to facilitate discharge of wastewater when changing water.

I. Planning the Market Time

Reasonably plan the market time for Aralia elata shoots. Usually, from water culture planting to market availability around the Spring Festival is about 50 days, so production can be scheduled according to this time period.

II. Preparing Aralia elata Stems

In the same year after field planting, harvest is generally possible when the stem diameter at breast height reaches 1.5 cm or more. The timing should be later rather than earlier. After leaf fall in autumn, sufficient time is needed for nutrient recovery, after which the plant begins to enter dormancy. Therefore, cutting too early will affect stem quality and is not conducive to the growth of water-cultured Aralia elata shoots in the greenhouse.

Therefore, harvesting can be carried out after the first snow. If the stem propagation field is relatively close to the greenhouse, harvesting can be carried out when greenhouse production begins. When harvesting, keep 2 buds at the base of each stem, which helps promote new branch sprouting the following year.

III. Storage of Stems

If stems are collected early, they must not be left in the open. Because Aralia elata stems have a lot of spongy tissue, and winter weather is dry with relatively strong winds, if the stems are stacked outside, the buds on the stem surface will shrivel within a short time, seriously affecting bud quality and yield.

Therefore, after the stems are collected, they need to be covered with straw or corn stalks, etc., and watered thoroughly during storage. If heavy snow occurs in winter, the stems can be buried in the snow. In this way, the stems taken out will have plump and vigorous buds at planting time.

IV. Preparation of Stems

It is suitable to select stems with a diameter of 1.5 cm or more and cut them into 30 cm sections toward the terminal bud end. Generally, 50 stems are tied into 1 bundle. During this process, note that both ends need to be uniform in length. In addition, when tying the bundle, leave 20 cm from the top end to avoid overcrowding at the top.

V. Preparation of Facilities and Materials

First, build water beds in the greenhouse. The grade of the water beds can be determined according to economic capacity. If conditions are good, cement beds can be built. Generally, building simple and practical water beds costs not very much. The bed specifications are 1.2 m wide, preferably oriented north-south lengthwise, with a 30 cm walkway between beds, a 70 cm wide walkway along the back wall of the greenhouse, and 0.5 m left along the front bottom edge of the greenhouse. Then dig 1 drainage ditch to facilitate discharge of wastewater when changing water.

The height of the water bed is about 15-20 cm. Generally, the bed bottom should be higher than the drainage ditch and must be kept level. It can be appropriately inclined toward 1 side of the drainage ditch so that accumulated water can drain into the ditch when changing water. After completing the water bed, make wooden frames 15-20 cm high according to the bed specifications and place them on the bed surface. The end of the wooden frame near the drainage ditch needs to retain a drainage outlet.

After completing the bed, lay plastic film with a thickness of 0.05 mm, then drape the plastic film around the outside of the wooden frame. Generally, plastic film with a thickness less than 0.05 mm is easily punctured, so for safety, 1 layer of plastic woven bags, fiberglass cloth, etc., can be laid on the bed bottom.