The latest complete tutorial on Stemona planting techniques and methods
Stemona, also known as Pofucao and Yaoshishao, is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its underground tuberous roots can be used as medicine and have the effects of moistening the lungs, relieving cough, killing insects, and relieving itching. In recent years, it has begun to be cultivated at home. So how should Stemona be planted? Let's learn about its planting techniques together.
1. Site selection and land preparation
Stemona is suitable for planting in sandy loam soil with deep soil layers, loose and fertile texture, rich in humus, and good drainage. After selecting the planting site, apply an appropriate amount of farmyard manure, superphosphate, plant ash, and other materials per mu. Mix them evenly and spread them on the ground. After 15-20 days of penetration, plow the soil 30 cm deep, then level and harrow it, form ridges and make beds, and dig drainage ditches along the edges of the beds, ready for sowing.
2. Sowing
Sowing can be done in spring or autumn. In the north, sowing is generally done in March-April using the seedbed seedling method, drilling in furrows on the seedbed. After sowing, cover with 3-4 cm of soil, water thoroughly once after sowing, and cover with rice straw to keep warm and moist. After that, water frequently to keep the soil moist. When the seedlings grow to 8-12 cm, they can be transplanted. In the south, sowing is generally done in August-September. After preparing the land and making beds, open furrows on the bed surface for direct sowing, using 4-5 kg of seed per mu. After sowing, similarly cover with 4-5 cm of soil. After the seedlings emerge in the following spring, transplant them again in autumn.
3. Field management
After the seedlings emerge, cultivate and weed 2-3 times. After each cultivation and weeding, apply topdressing in time to promote seedling growth. When the seedlings grow to 150 cm, insert bamboo poles or branches beside the plants for their stems and vines to twine around. To make them sturdy, 3-4 can be tied together, making management more convenient. In winter, after the aboveground plants wither, carry out earthing up once, and topdressing can also be applied to help them overwinter.
4. Pest and disease control
The main disease of Stemona is leaf spot, a bacterial disease that mainly damages the leaves. When it occurs, yellow-brown lesions appear on the leaves, causing the leaves to be unable to carry out normal photosynthesis. It generally begins in May and is more severe from June to August. For control, first remove the diseased leaves to prevent the disease from spreading to the stems and vines, then spray Bordeaux mixture. The insect pests include snails and red spiders. For snails, lime powder can be scattered around the plants or lime water can be sprayed for control, while for red spiders, lime-sulfur mixture can be sprayed for control.
The above is an introduction to Stemona planting techniques. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.