Can the Rosaceae plant "Xianhecao" lower blood sugar? How much does a jin of seeds cost? When should it be planted? What are the cultivation techniques?
Xianhecao generally refers to Agrimonia pilosa, a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Agrimonia in the family Rosaceae, distributed in China, Europe, Russia, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. It often grows by streams, roadsides, grasslands, thickets, forest edges, and under open forests, at an altitude of 100-3800 m. So, can the Rosaceae plant “Xianhecao” lower blood sugar? How much does a jin of seeds cost?When should it be planted? What are the cultivation techniques?
I. Can the Rosaceae plant “Xianhecao” lower blood sugar?
Xianhecao cannot lower blood sugar. The whole plant of Xianhecao is a tonic astringent hemostatic medicine and has no blood sugar-lowering effect. At present, the treatment of diabetes is mainly based on insulin to control blood sugar, and other oral blood sugar-lowering drugs can also be used. Moreover, a single Chinese herbal medicine such as Xianhecao cannot possibly have a great impact on blood sugar, nor does it have any therapeutic effect.
II. How much does a jin of seeds cost?
The price of Xianhecao seeds is about 310-500 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, and the market.
III. When is Xianhecao planted?
Xianhecao can be sown in spring or autumn. For spring sowing in the north, it is done in mid-to-late April, and for autumn sowing, it is done in late October before the ground freezes. When sowing, open sowing furrows 1-2 cm deep at a row spacing of 30-35 cm, sow the seeds evenly into the furrows, cover with thin soil, press lightly, and water promptly after sowing. The seeding rate is 1-1.5 kg per mu. Those used as whole-plant medicine are harvested in the second year after sowing, while those used as root buds for medicine are harvested in the autumn of the second year.
IV. What are the cultivation techniques for Xianhecao?
1. Land selection and preparation: Xianhecao has no strict requirements for soil, but low-lying land and plots with poor drainage should not be selected. After selecting the plot, apply 2000-3000 kg of barnyard manure or compost per mu as base fertilizer, spread it evenly, then plow and make flat beds or raised beds about 1-3 m wide.
2. Reasonable thinning: When Xianhecao seedlings are 3-5 cm tall, begin thinning and replanting, pulling out overly dense small and weak seedlings. When the seedlings are 15 cm tall, thin to 1-2 plants per spot at a plant spacing of about 15 cm. For those used as root buds for medicine, this can be appropriately increased to 30 cm.
3. Cultivation and weeding: Timely weeding and loosening of the soil during the seedling stage of Xianhecao is the key to ensuring a high yield. Usually, hoeing is carried out together with soil loosening. In the later growth stage, after the plants close the rows, there is no need to loosen the soil again, but any weeds should be pulled out promptly.
4. Timely topdressing: Xianhecao is fertilized once before final thinning and once before row closure. After that, topdressing is needed again in early spring each year and after each harvest. For those used as whole-plant medicine, more nitrogen fertilizer can be applied, while for those used as root buds for medicine, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be appropriately increased.
5. Removal of flower stalks: Xianhecao grows very vigorously and produces especially many flowers and seeds. Therefore, except for plants kept for seed, remove the flower stalks promptly to promote root growth and thereby increase yield.
6. Disease and pest control: The main pest of Xianhecao is the red spider mite, which pierces and sucks the stems and leaves, causing the leaves to turn yellow, fall off, and the plants to die. Propargite, fenbutatin oxide, and similar pesticides can be selected for spray control.