Vitex Fruit: Latest Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Vitex fruit, also known as Vitex fruit, Wanjingzi, and Manqingzi, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with a long history of use, and it is the main drug for treating wind-heat headache. It is mainly produced in Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang and other places. It has the advantages of a high survival rate, quick results, and large returns, and is an important channel for medicinal herb growers to get rich. Let's take a look at the planting methods for vitex fruit below.
1. Site selection and land preparation
Vitex fruit has low requirements for soil and strong adaptability. It can be planted in sheltered, sunny places such as beaches, lakesides, and riverbanks. It is best to choose sandy loam soil that is convenient for irrigation and drainage and is loose and fertile. At the beginning of winter, plow the land, and in March-April of the following spring, plow it again. Apply 2000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, rake it fine and level it, and later make raised beds 120 cm wide.
2. Propagation methods
Vitex fruit can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, layering, and division, but cutting propagation is mainly used in production. For cutting propagation, cuttings can be taken in both spring and autumn. After March and in September, cut healthy one- to two-year-old vigorous branches from robust plants, take the middle section, and cut them into 20-30 cm cuttings, requiring 2-3 nodes on each cutting. Insert the cuttings into the soil at a spacing of 6×15 cm. After cutting, water frequently to keep the soil moist. Cuttings taken in spring can be planted out in autumn.
3. Field management
After planting, water 2-3 times to improve the survival rate. One to two years after transplanting, topdress 2-3 times in combination with cultivating and weeding. The first time is at early spring sprouting, the second time is during the peak growth season, and the third time is before freezing. Apply 1000-1500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu each time. Three to four years after transplanting, in order to promote rapid plant growth, quick-acting fertilizer should be applied at this time, also topdressing 2-3 times, each time applying 1000 kg of decomposed stable manure and 30 kg of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate or 25 kg of superphosphate.
4. Pests and diseases
The main diseases of vitex fruit are sooty mold and leaf spot, both of which harm the leaves of vitex fruit, causing the branches and leaves of the plant to lose function, affecting growth and development, and even causing the plant to stop growing. They can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture, zineb, chlorothalonil, procymidone, and other agents. The main insect pest is the prickly felt scale insect, which has extremely strong reproductive capacity and sucks sap from stems, branches, and leaves, causing the plant to dehydrate and scorch. It can be controlled by chemical agents, manual capture, natural enemies, and other methods.
The above are the planting techniques for vitex fruit. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more about medicinal herb cultivation, please stay tuned to us.