How to Grow Monk Fruit? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Techniques
Monk fruit is the fruit of a perennial vine. Although it is a fruit, it has the effect of promoting salivation and quenching thirst, and is one of the more common Chinese medicinal herbs in daily life. With functions such as clearing heat and cooling the blood, and moistening the intestines to expel toxins, monk fruit is being planted over an ever wider area and has extremely high cultivation value, making it one of the main projects for escaping poverty and becoming prosperous today. So how should monk fruit be grown? Let's take a look below!
1. Choosing and preparing the site
The growth and development of monk fruit have certain requirements for climate, soil and so on. It is best to plant it on a sunny hillside at an altitude of about 1,000 m; if the altitude is around 400 m, the plot should be established on a shaded hillside. In the first year of planting, the plot should be plowed and harrowed, and after the wind has passed, it should be plowed again one week before planting. Make the soil soft and loose, build raised beds about 20 cm high and about 1 m wide, with row spacing controlled at 1.6 m. The spacing between plants should be at least 1 m. For each hole, mix farmyard manure evenly into the soil and pile it up into a mound for later use.
2. Vine layering propagation
Monk fruit is generally propagated by the vine layering method. Starting each summer, when the plants reach their peak fruiting period, select high-yielding plants and use them as mother plants for layering. The mother plants must not be allowed to set fruit on the trellis. In September, select some thick, strong vines that bear flowers and begin layering. This practice can avoid flowerless plants. The specific layering method is to dig a hole in the ground near the plant, usually a pit 16 cm wide and 16 cm deep, then press the vine into the pit, fill the hole back in, and leave it about 9 cm above the ground.
3. Planting method
Monk fruit is generally planted in early spring, but when digging up the seed tubers, remember to separate male from female. When planting, for every 20 female plants, one male plant should be included. In this way, there will be enough pollen later for artificial pollination. Also, the seed tubers must not come into contact with fertilizer, so when placing the seed tubers, first put fertilizer in the hole, then cover it with soil, and then place the seed tuber on top. No more than two seed tubers may be placed in each hole. When placing them, point the buds upward and let them show above the soil surface to make later management easier.
4. Timely harvesting
Monk fruit takes only about a year to mature. Around August, the fruit begins to slowly darken from light green, the fruit stalk begins to turn withered and yellow, and when gently pinched by hand it feels fairly hard yet somewhat elastic. At this point, harvesting can begin. When harvesting, do not pull it off by hand; cut it off gently with scissors, then place the cut fruit indoors in a cool, ventilated place. Wait until the moisture has been air-dried, leaving it for 1-2 weeks, until the moisture lost through air-drying accounts for 15% of the fresh fruit's weight and half of the fruit has turned yellow, and then processing can begin.
The above is a brief introduction to growing monk fruit. As a fruit and Chinese medicinal herb with great benefits for the human body, monk fruit is one of the most popular medicinal materials today. Market demand is growing, the planting area is becoming wider and wider, and the economic benefits are rising accordingly. So if you want to grow monk fruit to gain certain profits, you must have a correct growing method. I hope this article is helpful to everyone, and see you next time.