What are the key technical points for propagating dwarf lilyturf (Ophiopogon japonicus)?

Dwarf lilyturf (Ophiopogon japonicus), also known as snake's beard grass, ribbon grass, maidong, and cundong, is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant in the genus Ophiopogon of the family Liliaceae. Its fibrous roots are relatively thick and strong, and the tips or middle sections of the roots often swell into spindle-shaped fleshy tubers. The tuberous roots are used as medicine.

Morphological characteristics

A perennial herb of the family Liliaceae, growing in clumps, about 30 cm tall. The leaves grow in clusters, are slender, dark green, and shaped like chives. The flower stems emerge from the leaf clusters; the flowers are small, light purple, and form racemes. The fruit is a berry, spherical, turning dark green or blackish blue when ripe. The rhizome is short, with numerous fibrous roots; the middle or tips of some fibrous roots often swell into spindle-shaped fleshy tuberous roots, which are the medicinal dwarf lilyturf.

It prefers a warm and humid climate. Loam and sandy loam that are loose, fertile, and well-drained are suitable; soil that is too sandy or too clayey is not suitable for cultivating dwarf lilyturf. Continuous cropping is avoided, and crop rotation requires 3-4 years. Dwarf lilyturf has a relatively long growth period and a relatively short dormancy period. It develops roots twice a year: the first time before July, and the second time from September to November.

A perennial evergreen herb. The rhizome is short and thick, with slender creeping stems and membranous scales. The tips or middle sections of the fibrous roots swell into spindle-shaped fleshy tuberous roots. The leaves are basal, forming dense clumps, linear, slightly stiff and curved outward, 10-50 cm long and about 2-4 mm wide, with rough edges bearing fine teeth, and the main vein is not raised. There are 6 tepals, short at the base, lanceolate, light purple or bluish blue, and small. The flower stalks are very short, and the flowering period is July-August. The berry is spherical and turquoise blue, about 4-6 mm in diameter, and the fruit ripening period is November.

Propagation techniques for dwarf lilyturf

1. Seed treatment

Collect mature dwarf lilyturf seeds from September to October and wash them clean with water. Fill a water vat with 2 parts boiling water plus 1 part cold water, filling it to 1/2 of the vat's capacity. Pour the washed seeds into the vat, stir slightly, soak for 24-48 hours, then remove and spread them on a cement floor to dry in the sun, turning them 3-4 times a day. After drying, soak the seeds again in 1 part boiling water plus 1 part cold water for 24 hours, then remove and dry them in the sun. When 70-80% of the seeds have split open, mix them with 5 times their volume of wet sand for pit storage. When the sand-mixed seeds have been filled to within 10 cm of the pit opening, cover them with about 10 cm of soil. Seeds stored in sand can be sown in March of the following spring.

2. Selection of nursery land

Choose flat sandy loam with irrigation conditions and relatively high fertility, and apply 4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 50 kg of urea per mu. First spread the fertilizer on the surface, then plow, harrow, and level it, and prepare beds 30 m long (depending on the terrain) and 1.3 m wide for sowing. When preparing the land, pay attention to leaving access paths and drainage ditches. If it is a hilly area, it is best to choose sloping land with a gradient not exceeding 15°; in mountainous areas, the gradient should not exceed 25°, and the nursery land should be made as convenient as possible for irrigation, with good drainage and excellent soil quality (pH 5.6-6.8).

3. Sowing and seedling-stage management

In mid-to-late March or early April, sow the sand-stored, sprout-promoted seeds in concentrated drills in the prepared seedbeds. Water before sowing, then evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface, cover with 2 cm-3 cm of fine soil, and finally build an arched shed and cover it with film. Sow 40-50 kg per mu. After about 30 days, when seedlings emerge, ventilate promptly to lower the temperature so that the temperature inside the shed does not exceed 30°C. After 4 true leaves appear, remove the film and harden the seedlings for 3-5 days before transplanting, planting about 13,000 plants per 666.7 sq m. For direct seeding propagation, thin and finalize the seedlings when the young plants grow to their 6th true leaf, maintaining a plant spacing of 15-20 cm. Before winter, water once with winter-protection water, and in the following year, when the seedlings are about 70 cm tall, lift them from the nursery and plant them out around the "Spring Equinox."