What Is Coltsfoot Flower? A Detailed Guide to Coltsfoot Flower Cultivation Techniques

Coltsfoot flower, also known as Ai Dong Hua and Jiujiu flower, is the flower bud of the coltsfoot plant. It is quite similar to dandelion and is widely used medicinally because it relieves cough, reduces phlegm and moistens the lungs. So what is coltsfoot flower? What are its cultivation techniques?

1. What is coltsfoot flower?

1. Coltsfoot flower is the flower bud of coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), a perennial herbaceous plant in the order Asterales, family Asteraceae, subfamily Tubuliflorae, tribe Senecioneae, genus Tussilago. Its long roots are brown and grow horizontally underground; its leaves are very small, ranging from long elliptic to triangular; its flowers are capitula (flower heads), with petals generally in one or two layers and bright yellow in color, and the appearance is much like dandelion. It generally blooms from February to March and bears fruit in April.

2. Coltsfoot flower is a plant with very high medicinal value. It contains elements such as rutin, triterpenoid saponins, hyperoside and taraxanthin, and has cough-relieving and lung-moistening effects, so it can be used to treat diseases such as cough caused by cold-heat or external pathogens, chronic bronchitis and chronic osteomyelitis.

3. Coltsfoot flower is a plant with very strong growth ability. It can generally grow in places with a humid climate and cool weather, so it mostly grows beside ditches. At present, it grows in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Hunan, Yunnan and other places in China.

2. What are the cultivation techniques for coltsfoot flower?

1. Site selection and land preparation: What kind of land is suitable for planting?

Coltsfoot flower is suitable for growing in an environment with loose, fertile soil and good drainage, so when selecting a site, try to choose sandy loam for planting. After selecting the site, deep-plow the soil and apply 1250 kg of decomposed compost per mu, then level it for later planting.

2. Sowing and seedling raising: How to sow?

(1) Seed collection and treatment: When coltsfoot seeds mature, pick the fruits, put them in gauze and sun-dry them for one or two days, then rub them repeatedly with your hands until the seeds come out.

(2) Sowing methods: Coltsfoot flower can be sown in two ways: drilling or dibbling. For drilling, evenly scatter the seeds in the soil at a row spacing of 25 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm, then lightly scatter a thin layer of soil, and finally cover with plastic film or straw to let them emerge freely. For dibbling, sow the seeds into holes at a plant spacing of 20 cm and a row spacing of 35 cm.

3. Transplanting and setting out: How to transplant?

(1) Transplanting time: In early spring, when the soil thaws.

(2) Transplanting method: Dig out the seedlings together with soil and roots, then dig holes 8 cm deep and 10 cm wide at a plant spacing of 15 cm and a row spacing of 25 cm, then plant 2 to 3 seedlings in each hole, and finally cover with soil and tread it firm.

4. Field management techniques: How to manage?

(1) Thinning and filling in seedlings: After the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic film or straw, then check the condition of the seedlings in the field. Dead and weak seedlings should be pulled out in time, and crowded seedlings should be transplanted in time to places without seedlings, so as to ensure a full stand of seedlings.

(2) Intertillage and loosening the soil: After the seedlings grow evenly, remove weeds in the field in time and loosen the soil shallowly to speed up root growth.

(3) Fertilizer requirements: Coltsfoot flower does not have high fertilizer requirements. Generally, each time you intertill and weed, you can apply about 1000 kg of compost per mu. When the flower bud stage arrives, apply 15 kg of nitrogen fertilizer and 8 kg of phosphorus fertilizer per mu, and top-dress only 1 to 2 times. At other times, determine the number of fertilizations and the amount of fertilizer according to soil fertility and plant growth.

(4) Water requirements: Coltsfoot flower does not have high water requirements. Generally, water more during spring droughts, and just do a good job of drainage during the plum rain season.

The above is a detailed introduction to what coltsfoot flower is and its cultivation techniques. I hope it is helpful to everyone.