What soil is suitable for planting Bletilla striata, and when is the best time to plant it?
The planting method of Bletilla striata is simple, but to achieve high yield, you need to master certain techniques, especially paying attention to soil selection and management techniques. So what soil is suitable for planting Bletilla striata? When is the best time to plant it?
Bletilla striata prefers a warm, shady and humid environment, such as under forest in wild valleys. It is slightly cold-tolerant and can be cultivated in the open field in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It has strong shade tolerance and avoids direct strong light; the leaves tend to turn yellow and wither during high temperature and drought in summer. It is suitable for well-drained sandy loam rich in humus. It often grows on relatively moist stone walls and moss layers, often combined with shrubs, or grows at forest edges, in grass clusters, and in places with mountain springs. It also grows under evergreen broad-leaved forests, oak forests or coniferous forests at an altitude of 100-3200 m, and is cultivated in Beijing and Tianjin. The rocks where Bletilla striata grows are all sandstone types, so that Bletilla striata can absorb capillary water and thus firmly attach to them.
Before Bletilla striata seedlings form, the seeds must come into contact with the soil
The dispersal of Bletilla striata seeds mainly relies on wind, but during the dispersal process, due to the obstruction of dense leaves, a large portion cannot reach the ground. Even after landing, they may attach to dead leaves and be buried in the soil. Because Bletilla striata seeds cannot directly contact the soil, the survival rate is greatly reduced.
Requirements for soil parent material
Generally, fertile and moist soil is suitable for the growth of Bletilla striata seedlings. After formation, Bletilla striata has large leaves and thick tubers; however, compared with soil that is mostly sandy, loose in texture and relatively low in viscosity, the soil easily allows water and fertilizer to seep through, which is not conducive to water and fertilizer retention. Relatively speaking, humidity, organic matter and humus content are all relatively low, and such soil is not conducive to the growth of Bletilla striata. Through analysis, it is concluded that Bletilla striata belongs to neutral-soil plants.
Based on the above two points, in summary, Bletilla striata is a mesophyte that prefers moisture but is also relatively drought-tolerant, and is suitable for red and yellow sandy soil with relatively high organic matter and humus, with a pH value of 6.5-7.5 being better.
Planting time of Bletilla striata:
When harvesting in September-October, select tubers of the current year that have old stems and young buds as seed material for planting. In the south, it is suitable to plant immediately after digging; in the north, store the seed material until the following spring for planting. After planting Bletilla striata, harvest in October of the 4th year when the stems and leaves turn yellow and wither. At this time, the underground tubers have grown into 8-12, quite crowded; if harvested too late, growth will be poor. When digging, first remove the residual stems and dead leaves above ground, then carefully dig out the tubers with a two-tooth rake, shake off the soil, and transport them back for processing.