How to Grow Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) is a medicinal herb that is grown in various parts of our country, but many of us are not familiar with it. In fact, most people who have lived in rural areas have basically seen puncture vine; it generally grows in sandy land, wasteland, hillsides and other places. When puncture vine is fresh, it can be used as feed, and the part that can be used medicinally is its fruit. It has effects such as calming the liver and relieving depression, activating blood and dispelling wind, and improving eyesight and stopping itching. At the same time, it has certain therapeutic effects on sexual function, cerebral blood vessels, and the nervous system, and it can also play a role in inhibiting cancer, lowering blood sugar, and regulating blood lipids. So how should puncture vine be planted? Now follow the editor to learn about it below.
1. Soil and fertilizer management
Puncture vine has characteristics such as liking light, being drought-tolerant, liking dryness, and having strong adaptability. It has no particular requirements for soil and can grow in various soils, but its growth varies with different soils, and it grows worst especially in areas that are rainy, prone to waterlogging, and prone to standing water. It grows best in soil that is fertile and has strong permeability. When preparing the land, spreading organic fertilizer should be carried out together with deep plowing of the land, mixing the soil and organic fertilizer evenly, and cleaning away weeds and other material in the soil. Break up the soil clods and make high beds about 1 m to 1.5 m wide, level the bed surface, with drainage ditches about 30 cm deep, and connect the ditches to one another.
2. Scientific propagation
Puncture vine is generally propagated by seed, and the best time for sowing is the period from the end of March to the beginning of April each year. Before sowing, we need to grind the seeds twice with a rice milling machine, and then screen out plump, undamaged, high-quality seeds. After selecting the seeds, they can be sown directly, but it is best to soak them for about half an hour in a medicinal solution prepared with a water-retaining agent before sowing. When sowing, dig holes and sow according to a row spacing of 50 cm and a plant spacing of about 35 cm. After sowing, cover with soil to bury the seeds and water an appropriate amount, which is beneficial for seedling emergence.
3. Field management
When the puncture vine seedlings in the field grow to about 6 cm to 7 cm, we should pull out the weaker puncture vine seedling tips in the field as well as the overly dense seedlings, then check the growth of the puncture vine in the field, replant missing seedlings in time, and ensure uniform seedlings in the field. After the seedlings emerge, weeds will also grow along with them in the field, so intertillage and weeding should be carried out in time. After planting, carry out the second intertillage. Generally, intertillage is carried out two times, and weeding should be carried out at least three times. When sufficient base fertilizer has been applied, topdressing should be done according to the growth of the seedlings, and generally two topdressings are enough, mainly with manure and urine water. By mid-to-late August, in order to promote seed maturity, we need to pinch off the tops to promote the growth of side branches, so as to increase yield and achieve the purpose of accelerating ripening.
4. Pest and disease control
Wild puncture vine has strong disease resistance, but artificially cultivated puncture vine has more pests and diseases, so during the planting process we need to prepare in advance for the prevention and control of pests and diseases. Among them, the main diseases are white rust, black spot, powdery mildew, rust, and damping-off. We can use metalaxyl-copper wettable powder, zineb wettable powder, sulfur colloidal suspension, triadimefon wettable powder, and cukuijing for control respectively. The main pests are crickets, bean aphids, red spiders, and globular scale insects, etc., and trichlorfon can be used for control.
The above are the planting methods for puncture vine. That is all for today's introduction from the editor. I hope it can help all friends who love planting. If everyone still wants to learn more about other planting-related information, you can consult the editor.