Detailed Guide to Site Selection, Cultivation and Seed Saving Techniques for Asarum

Asarum prefers a cool, moist environment and fears strong light and drought. The soil should preferably be loose, fertile and rich in organic matter. So how do you select a site, cultivate and save seed for Asarum?

Generally, sowing in early July leads to seeds cracking open in early August, radicles emerging in mid-August, and by early September they can reach 4 cm, and by October they can reach more than 6 cm. They do not emerge as seedlings that same year; after dormancy is broken by low temperatures below 4°C, when the soil temperature rises back to around 6°C the following spring, the young shoots emerge from the soil. At 8-12°C they reach the peak emergence period. Asarum grows and develops extremely slowly; in the first and second years after sowing it grows only two cotyledons; only in the third spring does it grow one true leaf; in the fourth year it still has 1 true leaf, or a few have 2 true leaves, and still very few flower; only in the fifth and sixth years do most have 2 true leaves and flower and set seed in large numbers. In spring the seedlings emerge, and in May the above-ground part is basically fully formed, after which no new branches or leaves grow; even if the stems and leaves are lost to disease, pests or injury, no new growth occurs that year. The rhizome lies dormant underground, forms a small bud in autumn, and after overwintering sends out smaller leaves the following year. Therefore, protecting the healthy growth of the above-ground part is extremely important.

The seeds have a dormant habit, so after harvest the seeds need to be stored with moisture maintained, so that the embryo continues to differentiate and develop; after 30-55 days the after-ripening process can be completed. Seeds must not be dried out; their lifespan is short, generally around 30 days.

Asarum seedlings have weak emergence ability and strict soil requirements, so forest humus soil is mostly chosen as the seedling-raising field. Humus soil is moist, well structured and highly aerated, and is suitable for the growth of Asarum seedlings. Under normal conditions, raising seedlings on humus soil can achieve an emergence rate of more than 90%. For Asarum seedling raising, farmland soil should not be used; farmland soil is inferior to humus soil in physical and chemical properties, tends to cake, makes it hard for seedlings to emerge after sowing, easily causes bud drying, and even if seedlings emerge, they do not grow vigorously.

The specifications of the seedling field beds and the requirements for light transmittance are the same as for the seed field. The seedling beds should be prepared before seed collection so that sowing can be done in time.

Asarum seeds mature successively in early June and should be harvested in batches, because different maturity stages have an enormous effect on the germination rate: when the fruit skin is green the seed germination rate is less than 50%; when the fruit skin is white the seeds have set, and their germination rate can reach more than 90%; when the fruit skin splits open the seed germination rate is highest, but once the fruit skin splits the seeds are easily lost, so it is best to harvest fruits that have already turned white. Once the seeds begin to mature, they should be harvested once a day or every other day. After harvest, pile them for 1-2 days, and once the fruit skin has softened, rub out the seeds, wash them clean with water and sow directly, or sow after after-ripening treatment. Seeds must never be stored dry. Fresh seeds with a germination rate of more than 90%, after being bagged and stored in a warehouse, drop to a germination rate of around 30% after 20 days; after 50 days they lose their germination ability. Use insects to feed forest frogs. A virtuous cycle, waste utilization, low investment, high benefit and quick results solve the problem of live bait needed by the Chinese forest frog. In production practice it has been found that many frog farmers, because they do not pay attention to the production of live bait, have cases of forest frogs starving to death. Even if they do not starve to death, the lack of bait affects their growth and development, making growth slow and size uneven. Therefore, the production of live bait, and whether there is sufficient bait, is the key to success or failure in raising forest frogs.

Throughout their entire life process, forest frogs have relatively strict requirements for nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and inorganic salts. Especially for adult frogs, the sensory cells on the retina are sensitive to moving objects; forest frogs cannot eat dead insects, and because their gastrointestinal tract cannot secrete cellulase, they cannot eat plant foods. Therefore, it is necessary to breed and raise large quantities of sterile fly maggots, earthworms, yellow mealworms, woodlice and other insects, and to ensure the forest frogs have sufficient food.