How to Grow Schizonepeta? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Schizonepeta is also called fragrant schizonepeta, or false catnip. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to forty or fifty centimeters tall. Mild in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic, it is a commonly used medicinal herb, often used to calm phlegm, dispel wind, stop vomiting, and treat influenza, headache and fever, and so on, making it a very good antipyretic. So how do you grow schizonepeta? Let's take a look at its planting methods below.
1. Land cultivation
The main nutrients for growing Chinese medicinal herbs come from the soil, so site selection and cultivation of the planting area are the basic conditions for successful planting. We not only need to consider the ecological environment it requires, but also the national standards for Chinese medicinal herbs. We should choose flat, fertile, sunny soil with convenient drainage and irrigation that meets national planting standards in all respects. Next is to apply plenty of base fertilizer, mainly compost, barnyard manure, and organic fertilizer. Prepare the land and make beds, forming flat beds or raised beds depending on the terrain.
2. Cultivation techniques
Schizonepeta is generally sown in March and April in spring and in September and November in autumn, and the most commonly used propagation method is seed propagation. We need to select mature, plump seeds that are dark brown or brown in color and free from damage by pests and diseases, and sow them by broadcasting or drilling. Generally, the row spacing is kept at about twenty centimeters, the seeds are spread evenly, and then covered with soil. Be careful to firm the soil with your feet and water appropriately to keep the soil moist, which can promote emergence of seedlings.
3. Field management
Generally, emergence takes about ten days to half a month. Our field management of schizonepeta is generally divided into three stages: seedling stage management, growth stage management, and late growth stage management. During the seedling stage of schizonepeta, that is, when it is about four or five centimeters tall, one intertillage and weeding should be carried out, and when the seedlings grow to about eight to ten centimeters, thinning and transplanting should begin. The distance between each plant is about fifteen centimeters, and reasonable watering and fertilizing should be carried out at the same time, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main fertilizer. During the growth stage, intertillage and weeding are needed about once every twenty days. When schizonepeta grows to about twenty-five centimeters, a small amount of potassium fertilizer should be applied appropriately, and when it is thirty centimeters tall, mainly cake fertilizer should be used, combined with phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. In the late growth stage, they just need to be allowed to grow naturally, and the growth of schizonepeta should be maintained to improve its quality and yield.
4. Pest and disease control
The main diseases of schizonepeta include root rot, damping-off, stem blight, and black spot. We need to strengthen field management, drain water in time, and enhance the resistance of the plants through fertilization. Secondly, we can use dexon, Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim, and so on for control. The most common pests include cutworms, mole crickets, and moths. In the early stage of pest occurrence, we can use Bacillus thuringiensis emulsion, and when the pests are severe, pyrethroid pesticides need to be used for spraying and killing.
Schizonepeta has strong adaptability to the environment and does not have great requirements for the growing environment. However, when planting schizonepeta, we still need to master its planting methods so that we can grow high-yield and high-quality schizonepeta. That's all for today's sharing. If you want to learn more details about schizonepeta, please stay tuned for the next issue.