How to grow mugwort seeds? A detailed guide to sowing mugwort

Mugwort has many uses. The leaves are sun-dried and pounded to make “moxa,” which is rolled into moxa sticks for moxibustion and can also be used as a raw material for “seal ink paste.” In addition, the whole plant is used as an insecticidal pesticide or burned as smoke for room disinfection and pest control. So how do you grow mugwort seeds?

1. Planting density

In February to March, when mugwort seedlings are 5 to 10 cm tall, choose a time when the ground is moist and transplant the seedlings at a plant-to-row spacing of 30×40 cm, with 2 to 3 plants per hole, then cover with soil and firm it down. If there is no rain within 2 to 3 days after planting, water drop by drop to preserve soil moisture.

2. Timely fertilization

After the mugwort has taken root and survived, when the seedlings are 30 cm tall, apply 90 kg of urea per hectare as a seedling-promoting fertilizer, broadcasting it on cloudy and rainy days and spraying it on the leaves on sunny days. In early November, apply farmyard manure, stable manure, cake fertilizer and the like as a base fertilizer.

3. Reasonable watering

In early to mid-June, after the Qiai mugwort is harvested, turn and sun the plot, clear away dead branches and fallen leaves, and thin out overly dense stem bases and perennial roots. In dry seasons, when the seedlings are below 80 cm tall, spray-irrigate the leaves; when the seedlings are above 80 cm tall, flood-irrigate the whole plot.

4. Harvesting and processing

Mugwort is usually harvested in summer. Before it blooms, cut the above-ground stems and branches that bear leaves, remove impurities and dead leaves, spread them in the sun to dry, then tie them into bundles and store them in a dry place, protecting them from moisture and mold.

Mugwort is an ordinary plant and an ordinary traditional Chinese medicine, yet within the elements of Chinese culture it carries rich knowledge and meaning. People not only use it to pray for a happy and peaceful life, but also use it to relieve their own illnesses and pain.