Latest prices for Luo Han Guo (monk fruit) seedlings and planting methods

Luo Han Guo (monk fruit, Siraitia grosvenorii) is a perennial vine of the genus Siraitia in the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as "immortal fruit", "false bitter melon", "gold that cannot be exchanged", etc. It is among the first batch of precious medicinal materials announced by the Ministry of Health that serve as both medicine and food, and has the effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, promoting fluid production and relieving cough, lubricating the intestines and expelling toxins, beautifying and nourishing the skin, and moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm. Its cultivation value is very high. Let us take a look below at the prices of Luo Han Guo seedlings and the planting methods!

How much does one Luo Han Guo seedling cost?

The price of Luo Han Guo seedlings is about 4 to 8 yuan per plant, but prices vary greatly depending on the quality, variety, place of origin, market and purchase quantity of the seedlings. In China, Luo Han Guo is mainly produced in Guilin, Guangxi, among which Yongfu County and Longsheng County are the hometowns of Luo Han Guo with a relatively long planting history. Yongfu has been growing Luo Han Guo for more than 300 years, and Longsheng County has been growing Luo Han Guo for more than 200 years. 90% of China's Luo Han Guo is produced in Yongfu County and Longsheng County.

What varieties of Luo Han Guo are there?

1. Qingpiguo (green-skinned fruit): The Qingpiguo plant is robust, with relatively high yield, strong adaptability, early fruiting, good productivity and medium quality. It is widely used in production, with a cultivation area accounting for more than 90%, and can be planted in both mountainous areas and plains.

2. Lajiangguo: Lajiangguo was developed from seedlings of Changtanguo. The fruit is elliptical, oblong or pear-shaped. It has wide adaptability and is suitable for planting in mountainous or hilly areas. The plant grows vigorously and has good quality.

3. Changtanguo: Changtanguo is currently the best-quality variety among cultivated varieties. The fruit is long elliptical or ovate-elliptical, with tender skin and sparse soft hairs. The top of the fruit is slightly sunken, and the skin has obvious fine veins.

4. Hongmaoguo (red-haired fruit): Hongmaoguo has very strong adaptability, robust plant growth and relatively high yield. The young vines and young fruits are densely covered with red verrucous glandular scales. The fruit is small, pear-shaped and short-round.

5. Dongguaguo (winter melon fruit): The Dongguaguo plant grows robustly. The fruit is long cylindrical, flat at both ends, shaped like a winter melon, with seeds shaped like melon seeds and leaves triangular-cordate. The fruit is densely covered with soft hairs, has good yield, and is suitable for planting in low mountainous areas.

Planting techniques for Luo Han Guo

1. Site selection and land preparation: Luo Han Guo is a short-day crop and prefers humid, foggy and cool conditions. After selecting the site, plow and harrow in the winter of the previous year, then plow once more several days before planting, form beds and dig holes. Apply 5 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per hole, mix the fertilizer with soil and pile it into a mound ready for planting.

2. Planting method: Luo Han Guo is generally planted between March and April, at about 400 plants per mu, with two plants per hole. In cold northern areas, plant around Qingming on a warm sunny day; in southern areas, planting can be earlier; in areas without frost in winter, it can be planted in autumn or winter.

3. Building trellises and supporting vines: After planting Luo Han Guo, begin building the trellis, spread small bamboo or branches on top of the trellis, and insert a small bamboo beside each plant. When the seedlings are 17 to 20 cm tall, remove the side branches on the vines. When the seedlings are 30 cm tall, gently tie the main vine to the bamboo with straw or hemp rope.

4. Weeding and topdressing: Weeding and topdressing of Luo Han Guo must be carried out several times each year. Apply thin human manure water once in April to May; after the main vine reaches the trellis in May, apply decomposed farmyard manure once; during the flowering and fruiting period from June to September, apply a mixed fertilizer of farmyard manure, peanut bran, phosphate fertilizer, etc. once every 7 to 15 days.

5. Artificial pollination: For Luo Han Guo, this is done when the plants bloom between June and July, but artificial pollination should be completed in the morning, as pollination in the afternoon has poor results. Collected pollen should be used the same day; if it is to be kept until the next day, it must be dried and stored, otherwise it will lose its germination ability.

6. Wintering management: Before the Start of Winter each year, mound soil around the root crown to a thickness of about 15 cm, then cover with a layer of grass to prevent the tubers from freezing during winter. Around Qingming the next year, remove the covering and scrape away the soil to expose the tubers, and at the same time cut off the withered vines to facilitate the growth of new shoots.

Pest and disease control for Luo Han Guo

1. Root-knot nematode disease

[Damage] After infection, tumor-like growths of varying sizes form on the fibrous roots, and tumor-like lumps form on the tubers. In mild cases, the plant's root absorption of water and nutrients is affected; in severe cases, the roots and parts of the tubers all rot.

[Control] Use newly reclaimed land for planting, select disease-free tubers as seed material, implement crop rotation, and after disease occurs, expose the root crown, cut away the tumor-like growths and then apply tung oil, which has a certain control effect.

2. Yellow squash beetle (Aulacophora femoralis)

[Damage] The larvae bite through the roots in the soil, and the adults bite notches in the leaves or eat entire leaves, causing the plants to die.

[Control] When adults are causing damage, spray with 90% trichlorfon or 80% dichlorvos at 1000 to 1500 times dilution.

3. Fruit fly

[Damage] The larvae bore into and feed on the fruit flesh, and the infested fruit turns yellow and drops early.

[Control] Promptly pick off infested fruit. During the adult activity period, spray a mixture of 50 g of 90% trichlorfon and 1.5 kg of brown sugar in 50 kg of water.

4. Red spider mite

[Damage] It harms Luo Han Guo leaves, tender vines and fruit, and in severe cases causes leaf and fruit drop.

[Control] When it occurs, spray with 80% dichlorvos at 800 times dilution or 40% dimethoate at 800 times dilution plus 20% tetradifon at 800 times dilution.