How to Grow Schizonepeta Seeds? Detailed Sowing Methods

Schizonepeta is a commonly used medicinal herb, and many people also use its young sprouts for stir-frying. It can be used to relieve phlegm, dispel wind, stop vomiting, and treat influenza, headache and fever, etc. So how do you grow Schizonepeta seeds?

1. Land preparation

Schizonepeta is sown rather densely, and fertilizing during the growing period is very inconvenient. Therefore, after the land is selected, more base fertilizer should be applied. Per mu, more than 2000 kg of organic fertilizer such as compost, barnyard manure or smoked soil can be applied. For continuous cropping land, additional base fertilizer should be applied, and nitrate nitrogen fertilizer must not be used. After evenly spreading the base fertilizer on the ground, plow to a depth of about 25 cm. After deep plowing, make beds about 1.2 m wide and 10 cm high. After the beds are made, in order to improve the seed germination rate, irrigation should be carried out to settle the soil moisture. After the soil dries, carry out shallow plowing again. Before plowing, soil-treatment granules can be broadcast to prevent underground pests from damaging the seeds and affecting the germination rate. Plowing should not be too deep. 5-6 cm is sufficient. After leveling, it is ready for sowing.

2. Sowing

Before sowing, the seeds should be screened to pick out impurities and damaged seeds, then soaked in water for 12-24 hours. After removing them, dry them in a ventilated, dry place. This can speed up the seeds' internal metabolism, enhance their viability, and increase the germination rate. Because Schizonepeta seeds are very small, to make sowing more even, you can wait until there is no water on the seed surface and mix in an appropriate amount of fine sand or fine soil. The ratio of seeds to sand and soil is 3:1. After stirring evenly, they are ready for sowing. On the bed, use a tool to open furrows along the bed, with a furrow spacing of about 20 cm and a furrow depth of about 5 cm. Sprinkle the seeds into the furrows. Usually, the seeding rate per mu is about 1 kg.

After sowing, cover with soil 1-2 cm thick, press lightly with the foot, then level with an iron rake so that the seeds make close contact with the soil. Water after sowing to keep the bed surface soil moist, which helps emergence. After sowing, when the ground temperature is 16-18°C, emergence takes 10-15 days. If the ground temperature is 19-25°C and the humidity is suitable, emergence takes about 1 week. Before and after emergence, the soil should also be kept moist.

3. Thinning and final spacing

When the seedlings are 6-10 cm tall, thin out the overly dense weak seedlings and small seedlings. When the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall, keep 2-3 plants per spot at a row spacing and plant spacing of 10-15 cm for final spacing. If there are gaps, the large and strong seedlings that were thinned out should be transplanted with soil. It is best to transplant on cloudy days and avoid doing so when the sunlight is strong. When transplanting seedlings, carry as much original soil as possible, and water promptly after filling the gaps to help the young seedlings survive.

4. Weeding

Cultivation and weeding are key measures for the good growth and development of Schizonepeta. The main purpose is to loosen the soil, raise the ground temperature, regulate soil moisture, and remove weeds, so as to promote root development and ensure the healthy growth of the seedlings. When the seedlings are about 5 cm tall, use a small hoe to loosen the soil, just breaking the surface crust, to prevent root damage. During the seedling stage, cultivation should emphasize the three words “early, shallow, fine”: “early” means cultivation should be carried out promptly after emergence; “shallow” means the cultivation depth must not exceed 5 cm, to prevent damaging roots, damaging seedlings, and losing soil moisture; “fine” means cultivation should be done with uniform depth and the soil made loose and fine.

After Schizonepeta enters the growing period, it should also be cultivated and weeded frequently to keep the field soil loose and free of weeds, about once every 20 days, or according to specific conditions. Because broadcast sowing makes cultivation inconvenient, attention should be paid to weeding, or appropriate cultivation should be done 1-2 times. Generally, after the rows close, it becomes inconvenient to loosen the soil. Loosening the soil should be shallow to avoid damaging the roots. Cultivation should be carried out when the soil moisture is moderate.

5. Water and fertilizer

During the seedling stage, Schizonepeta needs more nitrogen fertilizer. In order to promote strong stems and more spikes, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should also be appropriately applied as topdressing. When the seedlings are 15-20 cm tall, spread some chemical fertilizer along the rows, applying 10-15 kg of urea and 25-40 kg of cake fertilizer per mu as topdressing. During the seedling stage, water frequently to promote growth. After the plants mature, their drought resistance increases, and irrigation can be stopped. However, in summer, if there is a long drought without rain and the soil moisture content is below 8%, and the plants show wilting, light watering should be carried out. The amount of water each time should not be too large. During this period, Schizonepeta is most afraid of waterlogging. If there is too much rain, promptly drain the accumulated water in the field to avoid causing diseases. When the seedlings are 20-25 cm tall, apply an additional 10 kg of potassium chloride by opening furrows and applying it, then earth up after application. When the seedlings are more than 30 cm tall, broadcast 60 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer per mu, and it can be combined with a small amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In July, Schizonepeta enters the late growth stage. At this time, field management is generally not carried out, allowing it to grow naturally. This can inhibit reproductive growth, benefit vegetative growth, and improve yield and quality.

Schizonepeta has relatively strong adaptability and is also relatively simple to grow. Its medicinal value is also quite good, making it very suitable for cultivation.