What precautions should be taken when growing Gastrodia elata? Analysis of the latest cultivation key points
Gastrodia elata is a rather expensive medicinal herb. On the market, the price of Gastrodia elata can be said to reach over a hundred yuan per jin. The place in China where Gastrodia elata is grown the most and best is Yichang in Hubei. Its high medicinal efficacy determines its high price, and at the same time, because of its high price, it is destined that its cultivation is not something that can be done well so casually. So today, Qinnong Web wants to tell everyone what problems need attention when growing Gastrodia elata. Let's take a look together below.
Planting time
Like other crops, Gastrodia elata also has its own growing time. Generally, the planting time for Gastrodia elata is spring and winter each year. At the same time, in these two seasons, the temperature cannot be lower than ten degrees. The best sprouting temperature is fifteen degrees. If the temperature is too low, it will seriously affect the yield of Gastrodia elata. So the sowing time is generally in August and September and in March and April. This time period for sowing is exactly the peak growing season suitable for Gastrodia elata, so you must seize the opportunity to sow.
Planting conditions
The soil in the place where Gastrodia elata is grown must be more on the sandy side, and it should also be relatively moist. Gastrodia elata cannot absorb nutrients on its own. Its growth needs to rely on a type of external fungus to promote growth. The most common one is Armillaria mellea. To produce Armillaria mellea, a large amount of wood is needed, so Gastrodia elata is generally grown in mountainous areas with lots of wood. However, some types of wood cannot produce this fungus, for example, Chinese fir.
Water management
Gastrodia elata needs a large amount of water throughout its entire growth process, but the moisture should not be too much either, so you just have to grasp a degree carefully. In the early stage of Gastrodia elata growth, it is generally necessary to ensure that the moisture content in the soil exceeds sixty percent, that is, when you touch the soil with your hand, you can clearly feel the moisture. Next, in the middle stage of Gastrodia elata growth, the moisture should be kept at around fifty percent. When it reaches the late stage of Gastrodia elata growth, its requirements for nutrients and various substances will gradually decrease, but the moisture content in the soil still needs to account for about forty percent. So when planting, we must always pay attention to changes in moisture in the planting site. If there is too much moisture, drain it; if it is too low, introduce water. Be sure to maintain a balance of soil moisture.
Temperature management
During the cultivation of Gastrodia elata, temperature regulation is a very key and very important issue. If there is a problem with the temperature, the losses to Gastrodia elata will be relatively large. The growing temperature for Gastrodia elata generally needs to be controlled at around fifteen to twenty-five. When the summer temperature is relatively high, we generally use some objects that can block sunlight for shading, and at the same time use artificial technology for ventilation and heat dissipation. In winter, when the temperature is relatively low, in order to prevent Gastrodia elata from being damaged by freezing, we generally use greenhouses for insulation.
Daily management
In our daily lives, there are many bacteria and other fungi, but the growth of Gastrodia elata cannot be disturbed by other fungi, so we remove fungi by sun exposure. Of course, there will also be trouble from animals such as mice. Generally, chemicals are used to eliminate mice. No movable living organisms can appear in the Gastrodia elata planting area.
Disease and pest control
The pests that cause relatively great harm to the growth of Gastrodia elata are mole crickets, white grubs, termites, and similar pests. To prevent and control these diseases and pests, when planting Gastrodia elata, we spread some 5% chlordane powder and termite-specific pesticide on the seedbed, or buy some traps specifically targeting termites and place them near the Gastrodia elata planting area to capture and kill them.