Detailed Tutorial on the Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods for Gardenia
Gardenia, also known as Huangzhizi or Shanzhi, is one of China's traditional medicinal herbs. It can be used both as medicine and as food, and has effects such as protecting the liver, promoting bile flow, lowering blood pressure, calming, stopping bleeding, and reducing swelling. Clinically, it can also treat conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. So how should it be cultivated? Let's take a look at the cultivation techniques for gardenia together with the editor.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Choose alluvial soil or black soil with deep soil layers and loose, fertile texture as the seedbed. The seedbed should have convenient drainage and irrigation. Then apply 2000-4000 kg of barnyard manure per mu as base fertilizer, plow it deeply into the soil, harrow finely, and level it to make high beds of 40cm. Choose a gentle slope or plain wasteland with sufficient water sources, convenient drainage and irrigation, and facing south for the planting site. Before planting, carry out reclamation, open holes at a plant spacing of 1-1.5 m, and apply 4 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per hole as base fertilizer.
2. Propagation Methods
Gardenia is mainly propagated and raised for production through seeds and cuttings. Seed propagation can be done in spring or autumn. On the prepared seedbed, open holes at a row spacing of 25cm, sow the treated seed kernels into the holes, and cover with a layer of fine soil mixed with plant ash and phosphate fertilizer. After covering with soil, cover with grass to prevent the soil from crusting. Use 2-3 kg of seed per mu. Cutting propagation can be done from February to April and from September to October. Select robust 1-2 year old branches, cut them into 7-20cm cuttings, and insert them on the bed surface at a row spacing of 15-30cm. When cutting, the cuttings should be slightly slanted, inserted one third into the soil, with one bud node exposed. After insertion, water frequently to keep the soil moist, and they can be planted out after one year.
3. Planting Out
After seedlings have been cultivated for one year and grown to 25-30cm, they can be transplanted and planted out. If the seedlings have not grown to this height, topdress in time to promote seedling growth and carry out cultivating and weeding, and plant them out in autumn or winter of that year. The planting time is generally from Start of Spring to Pure Brightness in the first half of the year, and in late autumn to early winter in the second half. When planting out, the seedlings should be kept with some soil and phosphate fertilizer. On the prepared planting site, plant one plant per hole, fill soil and press firmly, and water thoroughly.
4. Field Management
During this period, cultivating and weeding should be done in time, mainly weeding. When cultivating, shallow cultivation should be used, and deep cultivation is not suitable. In winter, combine orchard cleaning and fertilization with earthing up once to help them overwinter safely. Topdressing after planting out is essential. During the vegetative growth period of gardenia, topdressing should mainly be nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented by phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and some organic fertilizer should also be applied, which can promote the formation and growth of the crown. After entering the fruiting period, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be the main focus to increase the fruit-setting rate and the number of fruits, so as to achieve the goal of high yield. Proper pruning during cultivation can also increase the yield of gardenia. When the plant grows to 50cm, pruning should be carried out. Cut off creeping branches, weak branches, drooping branches, reversed branches, and diseased or insect-damaged dead branches 30cm from the main trunk, leaving only one thick branch and 3-4 secondary branches in different directions. This can promote the formation of the crown.
The above is an introduction to the cultivation techniques for gardenia. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.