What are the latest precautions for growing motherwort?
Motherwort can be used whole as medicine; it is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb and is grown in all regions of our country, which shows that motherwort has the characteristics of strong adaptability and being easy to grow.. Motherwort is rich in leonurine, and has effects such as promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, contracting the uterus, regulating menstruation, and treating difficult labor and retained placenta. And what we are going to learn today are several common issues that need attention when growing motherwort. Let's take a look together.
1. Time
Motherwort can be planted in the three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn, but because the climatic conditions in different regions of our country are still different, the planting time will still vary. If sowing in spring, it is generally during the period from the end of February to early March, also known as the Awakening of Insects period; the northern regions usually adopt summer sowing, which can make full use of idle land resources, generally planting after Grain in Ear; autumn planting is generally carried out in low-temperature areas, usually from the end of September to early October each year, that is, the period from the Autumn Equinox to Cold Dew. Among them, spring sowing has the highest yield, autumn sowing is second, and summer sowing is last.
2. Seeds
Motherwort seeds have a very large impact on the seedling emergence rate of motherwort planting and the later yield, so seed selection for motherwort is very important. Generally speaking, if fresh motherwort seeds of the current year are selected for planting, then their germination rate is usually around 80% to 75%. But if old seeds or even seeds from even earlier years are selected, then their germination rate will be lower, so seeds of the current year should be selected for sowing. In addition, if hole sowing is used, it is best to prepare 450 grams of seeds; for drill sowing, it is best to prepare 600 grams of seeds, to avoid affecting the planting schedule due to insufficient seeds.
3. Density
The planting density of motherwort is also something we need to pay attention to during the planting process; it is mainly to ensure field ventilation and the occurrence rate of pests and diseases. When sowing, if drill sowing is used, the distance between each row should be about 25 cm, and the seeds should be scattered evenly; later, multiple thinnings are needed to ensure that the distance between each plant is about 10 cm. If the hole sowing method is used, then when digging the holes, the row spacing and plant spacing should be controlled well, and the distances should remain consistent with drill sowing.
4. Water and fertilizer
Water and fertilizer management is the key to motherwort planting and to high yield and high quality, and it is also what we need to focus on in the later stage of planting. During the entire growth process of motherwort, generally three topdressings and waterings are needed, and each time they are carried out after intertillage and weeding. When fertilizing, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used to promote the growth of motherwort, and at the same time it also needs to be combined with cake fertilizer and Xinguozhimo, which can enhance the effect of fertilizer efficiency and also reduce the harm of pests and diseases.
Because motherwort has strong resistance, it can be said to be a very easy Chinese medicinal herb to grow, but this does not mean that we can plant it casually; there are still many places that need attention. Of course, in addition to the points listed above by the editor, there are other places that also need attention, such as the prevention and control of pests and diseases, intertillage and weeding, and so on.