How to Grow Cat's Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus)? Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Cat's whiskers, originally named kidney tea and also known as cat's whiskers herb, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family. It can be used as medicine and has cooling and anti-inflammatory effects, mainly used to treat acute and chronic nephritis, cystitis, urinary tract stones, and rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, wild resources are gradually decreasing, and many regions have begun artificial cultivation. So how should cat's whiskers be grown? Let's find out together.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Cat's whiskers prefers high-temperature and humid environments, is afraid of cold, afraid of drought, and susceptible to waterlogging, and is tolerant of fertilizer. When cultivating, it is advisable to choose sandy loam or loam soil with deep soil layers and rich organic matter, and appropriate shade is also needed. Many people choose understory cultivation or shed cultivation when growing it. Before planting, the land should be prepared by clearing weeds and leftover plant debris from the ground, breaking up soil clods, shaping and raking level, and base fertilizer can also be applied according to the soil fertility conditions.
2. Propagation Methods
Cat's whiskers is generally propagated by cuttings. In the north, where temperatures are lower, the suitable time for cuttings is July-August, while in the south, where the climate is warmer, cuttings can be taken all year round, but March-April is best. Combined with pinching, cut off the top shoots that are thick and free of pests and diseases, and take 10 cm lengths as cuttings, requiring each cutting to retain 2-3 nodes. Cuttings should be inserted as soon as they are cut. When inserting cuttings, it is advisable to control the plant and row spacing at 5×15 cm. Nutrient soil or river sand can be chosen as the substrate for cuttings. After cutting, the substrate should be kept moist, and there should also be a certain degree of shade. It should not be exposed to strong direct sunlight. Roots will form after about 2 weeks.
3. Transplanting
After the cuttings have rooted and survived for half a month, they can be transplanted. When transplanting, water the ground thoroughly once before lifting the seedlings, then dig holes in the planting site for transplanting. A plant and row spacing of 30×30 cm is advisable. Place the seedlings upright into the holes, taking care to spread the root system out and not let it twist together, so as not to affect the survival rate. After covering with soil, water thoroughly to settle the roots.
⟦NL>4. Field Management
After transplanting, attention should be paid to moisture retention, frequent watering, and keeping the soil moist, which can promote root growth. At the same time, timely weeding and loosening of the soil should be done to keep the field free of weeds. Especially after each watering, timely loosening of the soil can avoid soil compaction, increase soil permeability, and promote the root development of the seedlings. After each weeding, appropriate topdressing should be carried out, preferably with organic fertilizers such as decomposed stable manure or human and livestock manure and urine.
The above is an introduction to the cultivation techniques for cat's whiskers. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.