How to Grow Bletilla striata from Seed? A Full Guide to the Growing Techniques

Growing Bletilla striata from seed requires choosing and preparing the land, and a warm environment is more suitable. Then fill the soil with base fertilizer and arrange sowing; tuber propagation is more convenient. Once the seedlings emerge, field management can begin, and weeding, intertillage loosening of the soil, and watering and fertilizing are all essential steps.

Bletilla striata Seed Growing Techniques

1. Choosing and preparing the land

Bletilla striata has strong adaptability and no special requirements for soil. It likes a warm, moist environment and is not cold-tolerant. When planting, it is best to choose a loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil rich in humus. After choosing the plot, plow it more than 20 cm deep, then apply barnyard manure and compost as base fertilizer at 1000 kg per mu. If there is no farmyard manure, compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer can also be used instead, applying 100 kg of organic fertilizer and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. After fertilizing, mix it evenly with the soil. Before planting, shallow-plow once, then harrow fine and level, and make raised beds 1.5 m wide.

2. Propagation methods

Bletilla striata can be propagated by seeds and tubers, but sowing is difficult and the survival rate is low, while tuber propagation is easier, so tuber propagation is mostly used in production. Tuber propagation is generally carried out from September to November. Dig out the Bletilla striata and select tubers of medium size and free of pests and diseases, requiring each piece to have one to two bud eyes. After mixing with plant ash, they can be planted. Open furrows on the bed surface at a row spacing of 20-25 cm, with a furrow depth of 5-6 cm. When planting, place the tubers into the furrows at a plant spacing of 10 cm, with the bud eyes facing upward, then fill with soil and firm it, water, and cover with grass.

3. Field management

After the Bletilla striata seedlings emerge, weeding must be done well. Management during the seedling stage of Bletilla striata places great importance on weeding, as weeds affect the growth of the seedlings. When weeding, it is best to pull the weeds by hand. After weeding, combine the growth condition of the seedlings and the looseness of the soil to carry out timely intertillage and timely loosening of the soil. Whether intertilling or weeding, be sure to hoe shallowly to avoid damaging the root system.