How to Grow Chebulic Myrobalan? Latest Cultivation Techniques Explained
Chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula) is a plant of the Combretaceae family and a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with a very long history in our country. Chebulic myrobalan is widely distributed and can be seen in almost every province. Chebulic myrobalan has various effects such as stopping diarrhea and relieving cough, reducing internal heat and astringing the lungs, and is generally used to treat bloody stool, rectal prolapse, and chronic cough, among others. So how should chebulic myrobalan be grown? Today, the editor brings you a simple process for growing chebulic myrobalan. Let's take a look below!
1. Site selection and land preparation
Chebulic myrobalan grows best in sandy soil with sufficient sunlight, good drainage and irrigation, and adequate water sources. After selecting the site, remove stones, roots of previous crops, branches, weeds, and other materials from the plot. Then carry out land preparation by deep plowing and fine harrowing, and make beds ready for planting; the bed specifications should be determined according to the planting area and terrain. Dig the planting holes according to the planting density, and the planting holes should be sized according to the size of the seedlings, usually with length and width controlled at about 45 cm * 35 cm, then apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly decomposed farmyard manure supplemented by compound fertilizer, to improve soil fertility.
2. Seed selection and germination
There are many varieties of chebulic myrobalan, and we should choose suitable planting varieties according to local climate, soil, and other factors. Select chebulic myrobalan trees with strong growth, robust plants, and high yield and quality as seed trees. In winter, harvest mature and healthy fruits, take out the seeds, clean the pulp from the seed coat, split the seed shell, and take out the kernel. Spread the kernels flat on wet sand, cover with a layer of fine sand, then place another layer of seeds, repeating this cycle about 6 times, with the top layer covered with fine sand, watered thoroughly, and covered with plastic film. They will germinate in about a week, with a germination rate of about 75%, and they can be sown when about 80% of the seeds have germinated.
3. Seedling raising and transplanting
The sowing method for chebulic myrobalan is usually hole sowing. Open the bed furrows, control the row and plant spacing, and sow; after sowing, cover with fine soil, then spread a layer of rice straw, and water thoroughly. This improves the soil's moisture and fertility retention capacity and promotes seed germination. During summer droughts, pay attention to shading and keep the seedbed moist. Under normal management, they will germinate about 10 days after sowing. The seedling raising period of chebulic myrobalan is relatively long, about 2 years. When the seedlings grow to about 1 m, they can be transplanted and established. Most people now use seed propagation, but seed propagation has a long growth cycle and low yield, so seed propagation has gradually been phased out and replaced by grafting propagation.
4. Cultivation management
After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the rice straw, build a shade shed, and control the field shading at about 32%. Then, when the seedlings grow to about 10 cm, start topdressing, and afterward topdress about once every 2 months; as the tree age increases, gradually increase the amount of fertilizer applied. Also, pruning work should begin at the seedling stage, cutting off side branches on the stem to promote the growth of the main trunk and advance the planting time. When the young trees grow to about 150 cm, promptly pinch the tips and prune branches to prevent excessive height, which is not conducive to fruit picking later.
The above is a brief introduction to chebulic myrobalan cultivation methods. The current method of seed propagation is not conducive for experienced growers to use in production. If new growers begin large-scale planting, they may appropriately adopt it, while experienced growers should master grafting propagation to expand their planting area and carry out production. For the specific grafting propagation method, please refer to previous articles. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only and I hope it can help everyone!