Key Cultivation Techniques and Growing Management Methods for Lichens
Lichens are a symbiotic composite of algae and fungi, and are wild plants, so what are the cultivation techniques for lichens?
1. Basic Introduction to Lichens
Lichens are a symbiotic composite of algae and fungi. The fungal component that makes up lichens usually belongs to the Nostoc genus among blue-green algae and single-celled green algae, such as the Coccomyxa genus and Trentepohlia genus; the fungi belong to Ascomycetes or Basidiomycetes.
In this type of symbiotic composite, the algae contain photosynthetic pigments. They can carry out photosynthesis and provide nutrients for the fungi; the fungi can absorb water and inorganic salts from the outside, provide them to the symbiotic algae, and envelop the algal body within themselves to avoid direct strong light causing the algal cells to dry out and die. The two depend on each other and cannot be separated.
2. Cultivation Techniques for Lichens
1. Site selection: choose a suitable area for planting. The ideal cultivation environment is around 40° north latitude. For planting in the south, choose a forested mountain area at an altitude above 2500 m;
3. Soil: mix acidic black soil and shade-dried sheep manure and beans at a ratio of 5:1, then compact it;
3. Watering: use snowmelt water, ice meltwater, or rainwater for irrigation. Do not use tap water, mineral water, etc. Water at certain intervals.
The specific watering intervals are:
Spray water once every 12 hours. After 15 days, mix fresh spinach leaves and fresh green grass at a ratio of 2:3, beat them into a paste with a blender, dilute with water (rainwater, snowmelt water, alpine ice and snow meltwater) at a ratio of 3:5, and spray evenly on top.
After that, spray water once every 6 hours, and stop spraying after one month. After 7 days, spray water once every 48 hours, with each spray amount being 1 cm. After one month, spray water heavily, once every 3——5 hours, with the spray amount judged by visible standing water on the ground.
After 15 days, spray water once every 36 hours, with the spray amount judged by the ground surface being wet.