How to Propagate Physalis? Latest Propagation Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Physalis is a unique medicinal and edible dual-purpose health-promoting perennial herbaceous wild fruit native to China's history, with wild resources distributed throughout both northern and southern China. As early as the Zhenghe period of the Ming Dynasty, the ancients made full use of it. Today, the editor will mainly introduce the propagation techniques of physalis.

Physalis Seed Propagation

Harvest physalis in October to November when the fruit skin turns yellow-red, peel out the seeds, dry them and sow immediately. On a prepared seedbed, open horizontal furrows at a row spacing of 20 cm and a depth of 1 cm, then mix the seeds with plant ash and evenly scatter them into the furrows, covering with soil level with the bed surface.

After sowing, cover the bed surface with rice straw to keep warm and moist. Use 3 kg of seed per mu. After seedlings emerge in mid-to-late April, remove the straw and timely loosen the soil, weed, and apply topdressing, keeping the soil loose and the nursery free of weeds. Combine loosening and weeding with 1 topdressing in May. When the seedlings reach 30 cm in height, they can be lifted from the nursery and planted out. Seedbed seedling raising is generally done by manual sowing. Taking drilling as an example, the sowing work is divided into 4 steps, namely marking lines, opening furrows, sowing, and covering with soil.

Physalis Cutting Propagation

The mother trees for collecting physalis cuttings must be vigorous in growth, free of pests and diseases, high-yielding, and of high medicinal value. Select current-year fully developed, hard, completely lignified, pest-free branches with a diameter of about 0.5 cm. Cut off the top shoot portion and cut into cuttings 15-20 cm long, each with 3 bud nodes. At the base end of the cutting, 0.5 cm below the nearest bud node, cut at a 45° slant or double-slant.

To improve the propagation effect of the cuttings, treat the cuttings before planting. Physalis cuttings are mainly treated by soaking in water so that the cuttings absorb enough water before planting, which is beneficial for rooting and drought resistance. At the same time, soaking the cuttings also has a certain effect on eliminating rooting-inhibiting substances. Bundle 25 cuttings per bundle; the base and tip of each bundle must not be reversed, and the bases should be neat and uniform. After bundling, place them in clean water to wash. The soaking time is generally 1 day, preferably in running water. If there is no running water, change the water 1-2 times. Then soak in ABT No. 1 rooting powder for 2 hours.

Physalis can be propagated by cuttings throughout the year, but the survival rate is highest when cuttings are taken from May to September. Before cutting, prepare the cutting bed well. For open-field cuttings, carefully prepare the soil and apply sufficient base fertilizer to make the soil loose and moisture-sufficient. Soil disinfection should be carried out when necessary. Insert the treated cuttings obliquely into the seedbed, leaving only one bud node at the tip exposed above the soil surface. Spacing is 20 cm × 20 cm.

Physalis Horizontal Layering Propagation

Physalis can also be propagated by horizontal layering. In spring, open radial longitudinal trenches outward from the clump, about 15 cm deep. Select robust 1-year-old new branches, bend them downward and guide them horizontally into the longitudinal trenches so that the entire branch lies close to the bottom of the trench. Several branches can be placed in one trench, but note that there must be a certain distance between them to allow new roots to grow. Then fill the trench with soil, leaving the tips of the branches exposed above the ground.

As the new shoots emerging from the layered branches continue to grow taller, earth up in stages so that the bases of the new shoots develop roots. In autumn when the leaves fall, separate each new rooted plant from the mother plant to become an independent plant. Horizontal layering is simple to operate, has a high survival rate, and produces robust seedlings.