The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Pseudostellaria heterophylla
Pseudostellaria heterophylla, also known as haiershen or tongshen, is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb in our country, with the effects of tonifying qi and strengthening the spleen, promoting body fluid production and moistening the lungs, and is deeply favored by physicians. As people's living standards and health awareness have improved, medicinal drinks and medicinal dishes made with Pseudostellaria heterophylla have become fairly common among the public, causing a sharp increase in demand and a surge in market prices, which has also promoted its cultivation. So how should Pseudostellaria heterophylla be cultivated? Let us take a look together.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Pseudostellaria heterophylla likes to grow in a warm and humid environment, prefers fertile soil, fears waterlogging and fears drought, so it is best to choose a plot with higher terrain and fertile, loose soil for planting; waterlogged land with poor drainage and saline-alkali land are not suitable for planting. The previous crop on the plot is best sweet potato, vegetables or similar crops; after the previous crop is harvested, plow the plot, apply farmyard manure as base fertilizer during plowing, turn it into the soil together with the plowing, then rake it fine and level it, and make raised beds.
2. Propagation Methods
There are many propagation methods for Pseudostellaria heterophylla; the commonly used ones are seed propagation and tuber propagation. For tuber propagation, when harvesting, choose roots with intact, undamaged buds. Open furrows on the bed surface, place the tubers obliquely or flat on one side of the furrow, keeping the bud heads in the same direction, then cover with soil. The thickness of the covering soil is quite important: if too deep, the roots are large but few in number and the yield is low; if too shallow, the roots are small and the quality is poor; 5-6 cm is preferable. Seeds are not easy to collect, so naturally fallen seeds are often used to raise seedlings in place. After cultivation in place and harvest, rake the plot level, apply fertilizer and plant a crop of radish, vegetables or similar; after harvesting, rake level again, and at this time the seeds will germinate and emerge. When they have grown 3-4 leaves, they can be transplanted.
3. Field Management
After the seedlings emerge, cultivate and weed in time. If the planting area and the amount of weeds are small, manual pulling is recommended; if the planting area is large and there are many weeds, chemical weeding can be used, but pay attention to the concentration of the agent. Pseudostellaria heterophylla fears waterlogging; once the soil is waterlogged, it rots very easily, so after rain it must be drained in time, and during drought it should also be irrigated in time to benefit plant growth. If the plants grow slowly or are weak, an appropriate topdressing of human manure and urine or ammonium sulfate can be applied.
4. Pests and Diseases
The main diseases of Pseudostellaria heterophylla are root rot, leaf spot and mosaic disease, mostly caused by high-temperature and high-humidity environments, so when planting, be sure to choose plots with good drainage and ventilation, and spray pesticides in time to prevent and control diseases once they occur. The insect pests include white grubs, cutworms, mole crickets and wireworms; they mainly damage the plants and affect yield, and in severe cases cause the aboveground parts to wither and die. For these, insecticide can be diluted with water and poured on the roots, or poisonous soil can be made to kill them.
The above are the cultivation techniques for Pseudostellaria heterophylla. We hope this can help you. To learn more about medicinal herb cultivation, please stay tuned to us.