How Many Years Does It Take to Harvest He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora)? A Detailed Guide to Its Growing Environment
He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora) is a perennial plant with high medicinal value, and its main medicinal part is its root. Many people grow He Shou Wu nowadays, but before planting, most people probably want to have a full understanding of its growing environment and harvest time. Let's take a look together below!
How Many Years Does It Take to Harvest He Shou Wu
Cultivated He Shou Wu can generally be dug up in about two to three years' time. If it is wild, it generally takes longer, and some wild plants even need ten years.
The Growing Environment of He Shou Wu
He Shou Wu is a plant that likes sunlight and can tolerate partial shade; it likes moisture but cannot have waterlogged soil, and it grows in soil with good drainage. It is very cold-hardy. The roots are slender, with the ends swelling into fleshy tuberous roots; the stem is 3-4 m long, hollow, much branched, and woody at the base. The leaves are alternate, ovate, and membranous. The inflorescence is paniculate, large and spreading, terminal or axillary. The flowers are small and white; the perianth is deeply 5-parted. The flowering period is from August to September. It is propagated by sowing or cuttings. Seeds are collected in November and sown in March of the following spring, with seedlings emerging in about 20 days. Cuttings are taken in July-August. He Shou Wu has long vines, many branches, and many flowers. It is suitable for climbing greenery. People generally plant it beside walls and rockeries.
How to Grow He Shou Wu
1. When planting He Shou Wu, the first thing is to do a good job of seed selection. Choose superior seeds. The seeds of He Shou Wu mature when they turn from white to brown and become black inside, and they need to be harvested in time. After harvesting, the seeds must be dried of their moisture before being put into hemp sacks or sand bags and stored in a ventilated, dry place. Never put the seeds in plastic bags.
2. Next, choose a suitable place for cultivation. For planting He Shou Wu, it is best to choose sandy soil with deep, loose, fertile soil layers, convenient water sources, and both drainage and irrigation. In winter, plow 30 cm deep; after a winter of weathering, prepare the land in the following spring and make beds 100 cm wide and 20 cm high. Apply 10 kg of high-quality farmyard manure per square meter, and be sure to spread it evenly, then turn it shallowly into the soil.
3. Then comes sowing. The best time is in March each year. On the prepared seedling bed, open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 10-15 cm, then evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, cover with about 1.5 cm of soil, cover with grass, and water thoroughly. The usual sowing rate is 4-6 g per square meter. After sowing He Shou Wu, lightly water once with a watering can at 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. each day. After the seedlings emerge, water once every 2-3 days. At this time, remove the covering grass in time, and while keeping the bed soil moist, be careful to pull out weeds. Twenty days after emergence, thin and fill in the seedlings, setting the plants at a spacing of 4-5 cm. Be especially attentive during this period.
4. Two months after the seedlings emerge, spray with 100 kg of water plus 0.2-0.3 kg of compound fertilizer or urea, spraying once every 10-15 days. In the middle and later stages, spray with compound fertilizer or urea at a concentration of 0.5%-1%. If pests appear, they can be caught by hand, or controlled by spraying with decis at a dilution of 1:2000. For diseases, Bordeaux mixture at 1:1:200 can be used for prevention, and in severe cases, a 500-800 times solution of 25% carbendazim can be sprayed. This ensures its growth.
The time from planting to harvest for He Shou Wu is actually not very long. When planting, be sure to do a good job of seed selection, then plant at the right time. After planting, management also needs to be strengthened, and fertilizer and water management must be done well, so as to ensure better growth.