A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques for Licorice
Licorice is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine, and in the past it was all dug up in the wild. Now the natural environment has suffered a certain degree of damage, but the demand for medicinal use can be said to only increase and never decrease, so the market needs a large supply of dried licorice. Many people have seized this business opportunity and want to start cultivating licorice artificially. At present, it is planted more in the northwest, but the area is not large. So do you want to know how licorice should be planted?
I. Land selection and bed preparation
Generally, a sandy loam soil layer with a low groundwater table, good drainage and irrigation conditions, and deep soil is used. Compacted and low-lying land is not suitable for planting. The pH value suitable for growth is around 7 to 8. Before planting, the soil needs to be turned, but it should not be too deep, to avoid digging into the subsoil layer, damaging the structure, and being unfavorable for water and fertilizer retention and root growth. Generally, when turning the soil, the finely broken soil should be about 30 cm deep. After mixing the base fertilizer with the soil, make a bed surface more than 1 m wide and sun-dry the bed for three days to facilitate sowing.
II. Sprouting promotion and sowing
It is best to choose Ural licorice seeds. Put the seeds in a container, add 30 ml of 80% concentrated sulfuric acid per 1 gram of seeds, mix and stir, and leave them in a closed environment kept at about 20 degrees for one daytime. After taking them out, rub and wash them clean with alkaline water or clean water, then soak a clean white cloth, wrap the seeds in it, and place them in a seedling warming room to promote sprouting. Generally, they will sprout in one night, and when about 80% of the seedlings have emerged, they can be sown. Generally, after sowing in spring, summer, and autumn, dig holes or furrows on the ridges and sow directly and evenly along the furrow; or use hole sowing, generally with a spacing of 10 cm between holes, sowing 3 to 5 seeds per hole. But after sowing, all need to be watered thoroughly.
III. Field management
1. Thinning
When the seedlings grow to about 10 cm,2 the poorly growing seedlings and thin, weak seedlings can be pulled out. Leave growing space for healthy seedlings. In addition, weeds must be pulled out each time with the seedlings. When weeding, cultivating can also be carried out. Cultivating is mainly near the ridges and rows, but should stay away from the root system. However, it is mainly when the soil is compacted, or after rain when it is compacted, that cultivating is carried out to let air through and let the roots breathe.
2. Fertilizer and water
About one month after sowing, a certain amount of phosphate fertilizer can be applied in the furrows, and after application, soil should be covered to more than 5 cm, and after another week, watering should be carried out once. After rain, water accumulation should be prevented, and watering should be reduced to prevent root rot and the death of the whole plant. But in dry weather, water every afternoon to keep the plants upright and growing normally. No matter what, the moist state should always be maintained.
The specific planting method for licorice is a planting process of carrying out correct sprouting promotion on suitable soil, choosing a reasonable sowing method, and later management. After reading this, do you understand how to operate it specifically?