Dragon arum (Arisaema) seed prices, sowing and harvest times, and cultivation techniques

Dragon arum is a herbaceous plant in the Araceae family and can be cultivated throughout northern and southern China. Apart from the northwest and Xizang, it is distributed across most provinces and regions, below 2700 m in elevation, growing under forest, in thickets or in grassland. So, how much does dragon arum seed cost per jin on the market? When is it sown and harvested? What are the cultivation techniques?

1. How much does dragon arum seed cost per jin on the market?

Dragon arum seed is relatively expensive: seed with 98% purity, a germination rate above 85% and 95% varietal purity costs about 400 yuan/kg, and prices in physical stores vary slightly depending on the region.

2. When is dragon arum sown and harvested?

For spring planting, from late March to early Cen, on a prepared raised bed dig holes at a row spacing of 20-25 cm and a plant spacing of 14-16 cm, with holes 4-6 cm deep. Then place the buds facing upward into the holes, 1 piece per hole.

Dragon arum seed matures in early August; after collecting the red berries, rub and wash them in clean water to remove the flesh, take out the seeds and sow them immediately in autumn. On a prepared seedling bed, dig shallow furrows at a row spacing of 15-20 cm, insert the seeds evenly into the furrows, and cover with soil level with the bed surface.

3. What are the cultivation techniques for dragon arum?

1. Site selection

For artificial cultivation, dragon arum is best intercropped with tall crops, or grown in a shaded environment under forest, at the forest edge, or in a relatively shady, damp valley; a loose, fertile, well-drained yellow sandy soil is best. Low-lying plots with poor drainage are not suitable for planting.

2. Land preparation and fertilisation

After choosing the site, deep-plough the soil 20-25 cm in autumn, and while preparing the land apply 3000-5000 kg of rotted stable manure or compost per mu, ploughing it into the soil as a base fertiliser. Before planting, shallow-plough three more times, then break up the soil and rake it level to make raised beds or flat beds 1.2 m wide, with drainage ditches opened around them and the bed surface shaped like a turtle's back.

3. Transplanting

In spring, from April to early May, when the seedlings reach 6-9 cm tall, choose a cloudy day. Take vigorous young seedlings with a little soil around the roots and transplant them into the field at a row spacing of 20X15 cm. After planting, water once to settle the roots and help them survive.

4. Loosening the soil and weeding

When the seedlings are 6-9 cm tall, carry out the first loosening and weeding; it should be shallow rather than deep, just raking the surface soil loose. Right after hoeing, apply a top dressing of thin human and livestock manure water, 1000-1500 kg per mu, or apply 30 kg of compound fertiliser per mu; for the second time in mid to late June, the soil can be loosened somewhat deeper, and finish with 1 top dressing, at the same rate as before; for the third time in late July, which is the period of vigorous growth for dragon arum, combine weeding and loosening the soil with a top dressing of 1500-2000 kg of manure per mu or 40-50 kg of compound fertiliser per mu, applied in furrows opened between the rows, then cover the fertiliser with soil; for the fourth time in late August, combine loosening and weeding with a top dressing of 10-20 kg of urea per mu plus 50 kg of cake fertiliser to help increase the yield.