How to Grow Cassia Seeds? A Detailed Guide to Sowing Methods

Cassia seeds are a very common and important medicinal herb, with effects such as clearing the liver and improving eyesight, and relieving constipation and moistening the intestines. The cultivation range of cassia is also growing ever larger. So how do you grow cassia seeds?

1. Seed selection

Choose high-quality seeds and soak them in warm water at 50°C for a full day and night. Once they have absorbed the water and swollen, scoop them out and dry the surface, and they are ready to sow. The sowing period is best from Qingming to Guyu (mid-April), when the temperature is 15-20°C. If sown too early, the soil temperature is low and the seeds tend to rot in the soil; if sown too late, the seeds cannot mature, affecting yield and quality. Sowing in drills is best, with a row spacing of 50-70cm. Open a furrow 5-6cm deep, spread the seeds evenly in the furrow, cover with 3cm of soil, and press down lightly. Seedlings emerge about 10 days after sowing. In the north, where it is dry, irrigate first and then sow; do not water after sowing, so as to avoid surface soil caking, which affects seedling emergence.

2. Weeding

When the seedlings are 3-6cm tall, thin them out, pulling up weak or overly dense seedlings; when the seedlings are 10-13cm tall, set the final spacing, with a plant spacing of about 30cm. While thinning and setting the seedlings, loosen the soil and hoe weeds at the same time to keep the soil loose. Cassia is relatively drought-tolerant, and it can grow normally as long as the soil is kept at ordinary moisture. In dry weather, water appropriately, but during the seedling-setting period, water less to encourage root development. By Bailu (early September), when the fruit is approaching maturity, watering can be stopped.

3. Setting seedlings and topdressing

Begin thinning the cassia seedlings when they are about 5cm tall. When the seedlings are 15cm tall, set the final spacing at 30-40cm between plants, combined with cultivating and weeding. When the seedlings are about 35cm tall, before the plants close the rows, apply 20kg of superphosphate and 10-15kg of ammonium sulfate per mu, mixed and applied between the rows, then cultivate and earth up to bury the fertilizer in the soil and prevent the plants from lodging.

4. Watering

Throughout the entire growing period, cassia should be kept with the soil moist at all times. Especially during the flowering period, water promptly in dry weather, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season.

5. Pests and diseases

The most common disease of cassia is gray leaf spot, whose pathogen is a kind of fungus imperfecti among the fungi, mainly harming the leaves. At first, a slightly pale brown lesion appears in the center of the leaf, and then a gray moldy growth develops on the lesion. Before or in the early stage of the disease, spray a 500-fold 65% zineb solution or an 800-1000-fold 50% Tuzet solution for control. Insect pests mostly occur in late spring and early summer, mainly aphids, which are controlled by spraying a 200-fold solution prepared with dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate.

6. Harvest

Harvest cassia around “Hanlu” when the pods turn yellowish-brown. Cut down the whole plant, dry it in the sun, then thresh out the seeds and remove the pod skins and impurities, and they are ready for medicinal use. Seeds that are plump, dry, yellowish-brown, and free of sand and impurities are considered best.

The applications of cassia are still relatively wide. Many families buy cassia to brew as tea, and the prospects for cultivation are also fairly good, making it suitable for large-scale planting.