How to Grow Mugwort (Ai Ye)? Mastering Mugwort Cultivation Techniques Is Key

Mugwort is not only used as a raw material in moxibustion, but can also repel mosquitoes and insects, and can even be eaten and applied externally. However, during certain seasons, fresh mugwort is hard to find on the market, so you might as well try growing mugwort yourself. So how can you grow mugwort correctly and better? Here are a few reference suggestions for you to choose the ones that suit you best. Follow along with the editor below to learn more.

How to Grow Mugwort

1. Seed saving and seed cultivation of mugwort: For seed saving, 2-3 year old plants are best. Select healthy, high-yielding, pest-free plants and leave them unharvested.

2. Sow in early spring - February to March in the south, March to April in the north. You can sow directly or raise seedlings for transplanting. For direct sowing, the row spacing is 40-50 cm. After sowing, do not cover with too much soil - 0.5 cm is appropriate, or just enough to cover the seeds. Too thick a soil cover makes it difficult for seeds to sprout.

3. After seedlings emerge, pay attention to loosening the soil, weeding and thinning. When seedlings reach 10-15 cm in height, thin to a plant spacing of 20-30 cm.

4. Rhizome propagation method: In production, rhizome propagation is the main method. The planting period is usually in early spring, preferably before the buds sprout. Dig up the perennial underground rhizomes, dig out the entire root system, and select the tender rhizomes.

5. Then break them into 10-12 cm segments and air-dry for half a day. When planting, open furrows with a row spacing of 40-50 cm, place the rhizomes flat in the furrows at a plant spacing of about 20 cm, then cover with soil and press down. If the soil is relatively dry, water promptly after planting. After seedlings emerge, pay attention to timely loosening of the soil, weeding and topdressing.

6. Mugwort cultivation requires sufficient sunlight and good ventilation. Well-drained sandy loam soil is best, which is favorable for growth.

Mugwort Cultivation Techniques

1. Site selection and land preparation

The site should have irrigation water available, with no domestic water or industrial water pollution nearby. Soil and atmospheric quality should meet national Grade II standards. Production water should meet farmland irrigation water quality standards. The soil should have no toxic or harmful pesticide residues and no contamination from human or animal waste or household garbage, and should be tested regularly as required. Based on the soil structure characteristics of the planting site, moderately control the number of plowing and harrowing passes. During land preparation, apply fully decomposed, pollution-free farmyard manure at 22.5-30.0 tonnes/hectare, mix evenly and turn into the soil layer, then dig furrows and make beds ready for planting.

2. Propagation methods

Mugwort is mainly propagated asexually by rhizome division, but can also be propagated by seed. Generally, seed propagation is done by sowing in March, and rhizome propagation is done in November. The bed width is about 1.5 m, with the bed surface higher in the middle and lower on both sides, shaped like a “fish back” to prevent water accumulation that could cause disease. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer - generally 4000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. Deep plow and mix thoroughly with the soil. After bed preparation, water once with sufficient bottom water.

3. Planting density

In February to March, when seedlings are 5-10 cm tall, choose a time when the ground is moist (preferably after rain or on a cloudy day). Take seedlings separated from the stem base of the mother plant and plant them at a spacing of 30 cm × 40 cm, with 2-3 plants per hole, and press the soil firmly. If there is no rain within 2-3 days after planting, drip water to preserve soil moisture.

4. Field management

After planting and establishment, when seedlings reach 30 cm in height, apply 90 kg/hectare of urea as a seedling-promoting fertilizer - broadcast on rainy days, foliar spray on sunny days. In early April, cultivate and weed once to a depth of 15 cm. In early to mid-June, after harvesting Qichun mugwort, turn and sun the garden plot, remove dead branches and fallen leaves, thin out overly dense stem bases and old roots to a depth of 15 cm. In early November, apply farmyard manure, stable manure, cake fertilizer, etc. as base fertilizer. In dry seasons, use foliar sprinkler irrigation when seedlings are below 80 cm in height, and flood irrigate the entire plot when seedlings are above 80 cm.

When to Plant Mugwort

Mugwort's new harvest period is from May to September each year. Currently, domestic commercial grades can be divided into three types: Qichun mugwort, mugwort, and May mugwort. Mugwort has strong adaptability to climate and soil, is cold-resistant and drought-tolerant, and can be planted at field edges, field corners, hillsides and wasteland. Its sowing time is as follows:

1. For seed selection and saving of mugwort, 2-3 year old plants are best. Select healthy, high-yielding, pest-free plants and leave them unharvested. When the fruit matures, cut off the fruiting branches and spread them to dry, thresh, sieve, and winnow away impurities. Store the seeds in cloth bags in a cool, dry place.

2. Mugwort should be sown in early spring - February to March in the south, March to April in the north. You can sow directly or raise seedlings for transplanting. For direct sowing, the row spacing is 40-50 cm. After sowing, do not cover with too much soil. After seedlings emerge, pay attention to management. When seedlings reach 10-15 cm in height, thin to a plant spacing of 20-30 cm.

What to Prepare Before Planting Mugwort

Before planting mugwort, you need to learn about mugwort. Although mugwort is a type of grass, if you want it to bring you benefits, you must fully understand it. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. Only by better understanding it can you achieve high returns. Mugwort is cold-resistant and drought-tolerant, and dislikes water. Many growers new to the mugwort industry claim that mugwort is waterlogging-tolerant, which is very irresponsible. In terms of growth habits, what we need to do is choose a plot - be sure to choose a level plot that can be irrigated in drought and drained in floods.

Do you think growing mugwort is not as difficult as you imagined? So have you succeeded in growing it? By following the methods above, you can basically say there is no risk of failure. With a few more tries, you will become proficient at growing mugwort, and you can also innovate cultivation techniques based on your own ideas.