How to plant Equisetum ramosissimum? A detailed guide to the latest planting methods
Equisetum ramosissimum is a very common medicinal herb. Its main effects are diuresis, relieving cough, stopping bleeding, and reducing swelling. It is very common in rural areas of southern China, but most of it is wild and few people cultivate it. A large part of the reason is that many people do not understand it and do not know what it is used for, so it is often removed as a weed. It was not until now that more and more people have come to know it, and at the same time cultivated Equisetum ramosissimum has appeared. Below, the editor will briefly introduce its planting methods.
1. Seedbed selection
Equisetum ramosissimum is a moisture-loving plant. When choosing a seedbed, choose a place close to a water source and at the same time not prone to water accumulation, because it can grow in many places in rural areas, which shows that it does not have many requirements for the planting soil. But it is best to use sandy soil. When preparing the land, try to plow deeply about 20 cm, remove weeds and pests in the field, then spread sufficient base fertilizer, plow again, and rake the land flat. Finally, ditches should be made in the field, and each ditch should be connected to the others, so as to facilitate later drainage and irrigation.
2. Seed treatment
Before sowing, we first need to select plump seeds without impurities, then put the seeds into water and add an appropriate amount of white sugar to soak them. After one day, take the seeds out and evenly coat them with river sand, then put them in an environment with a suitable temperature for germination. The germination temperature is generally about 20°C to 25°C, and they usually sprout in about 3 to 4 days. At this time we can sow them.
3. Sowing at the right time
Equisetum ramosissimum can actually be planted all year round, but in some seasons the yield of planted Equisetum ramosissimum is not satisfactory, so its best planting time is around May each spring, and at the latest it cannot be later than the end of May. Generally at this time the soil temperature has basically reached about 10°C or so, and this temperature just meets the minimum standard for Equisetum ramosissimum emergence. Here the editor also has one more thing to remind everyone: before sowing, we should water the prepared soil continuously for three days, and each time it must be watered thoroughly.
4. Sowing methods
There are three methods for planting Equisetum ramosissimum. First is sowing with the seeds we prepared at the beginning. We can use drilling or hole sowing for planting. Second is rhizome cuttings, which means taking the rhizomes of existing Equisetum ramosissimum, cutting them into small sections, and inserting them upright into the soil. The last is division and transplanting. This method is the fastest and also has the highest survival rate. It means selecting relatively robust divisions of Equisetum ramosissimum and planting them at a reasonable density. But here we mainly talk about the planting method using seed sowing.
5. Field management
After the seeds are sown, we need to water once first. Generally they emerge in about one week, so during this week they should be watered at least three to four times. This can maintain soil moisture and promote the emergence of Equisetum ramosissimum. After about 11 or 12 days, basically all the seedlings that should emerge have emerged. At this time we should check the emergence situation of Equisetum ramosissimum in the field, timely thin and fill in seedlings, and water. When Equisetum ramosissimum has about 6 or 7 nodes, we can apply an appropriate amount of urea as topdressing according to the specific growth situation of Equisetum ramosissimum. The most important part of field management is water management. We must ensure that the soil always has a certain degree of moisture. When Equisetum ramosissimum grows to about 10 or 22 nodes, it can be harvested appropriately. After harvesting, it will continue to grow and can be harvested in batches multiple times.