What are the precautions for growing cassia seeds? The latest cultivation guide
The main medicinal part of the cassia seed is its mature dried seed. It has effects such as reducing fat, improving eyesight, moistening the intestines, and relieving constipation, and is often used in our daily lives for brewing tea. At present, the main producing areas of cassia seeds in China are Anhui, Guangzhou, Sichuan, Zhejiang and Guangzhou. So do you know what issues need attention when planting cassia seeds? Let us take a look together below.
1. Seed treatment
After the cassia seeds are harvested and stored, they are very dry, and the seed coat is also relatively hard. So to increase the germination rate of cassia seeds, we need to soak the cassia seeds in warm water at about 40 to 50 degrees for one day, then remove them after the seeds have fully absorbed water; then dry the seeds, soak them in a chlorothalonil solution for 15 minutes, remove them, rinse them clean with water, dry off the moisture, and only then can they be sown.
2. Sowing
When sowing, we must pay attention to the sowing depth. It cannot be too deep or too shallow, otherwise it will affect the germination rate of the cassia seeds. Sowing is usually done in rows, so the depth of each furrow is about 5 cm. Scatter the seeds evenly, cover the seeds with soil, and then water each furrow once. At this time we should note that watering should not be too much; a little is enough, otherwise the cassia seeds are easily damaged by soaking.
3. Density
Cassia seed planting also has particular requirements for density. We should determine the planting density of cassia seeds according to various conditions such as the growth habits of cassia seeds, the fertility of the planting site, and the terrain of the planting site. In general, the row spacing for cassia seed planting is about 55 to 60 cm, and the plant spacing is about 25 to 30 cm. In this way, the planting site has better permeability, can make full use of land resources, and at the same time is convenient for later field operations.
4. Leaf removal and topping
When the cassia seedlings grow to about 30 to 40 cm, we should top and pinch them, which can promote the growth of opposite branches and thereby increase the yield of cassia seeds. Also, branches and leaves should be appropriately removed. For example, the leaves at the bottom of the cassia plant can generally be removed. This can not only reduce nutrient absorption but also improve field permeability.
5. Earthing up
When planting cassia seeds, we also need to pay attention to timely earthing up. The earthing up work for cassia seeds needs to be carried out in two stages. The first stage is before the cassia seeds enter the flowering period, in order to enhance the air permeability of the soil; the second stage is after the cassia seeds form pods. We should promptly earth them up, which can prevent lodging, enhance the plumpness of the cassia seeds, and achieve the goal of high yield.
The above points are issues that are easily overlooked during the planting process, but their impact on the yield and quality of cassia seeds is very great. So everyone must pay attention to these issues in future planting. Of course, when planting we also need to pay attention to water supply, nutrient supplementation, and pest and disease control.