Latest Prices for Kudzu Root Seedlings and a Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
Kudzu root is also known as Ge Tiao, Gan Ge, Ge Teng, and so on. It is the dried root of the leguminous plant wild kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata). In China it is distributed in all regions except Xinjiang and Tibet. As a medicine it has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving spasms and pain, raising yang and releasing the muscles, promoting eruption and stopping diarrhea, and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation. Its cultivation value is very high. Now let us take a look at the prices of kudzu root seedlings and the planting methods!
How much does a kudzu root seedling cost?
The price of kudzu root seedlings is about 0.4 to 1.2 yuan per plant, but prices vary depending on the quality, specifications, place of origin, and market of the seedlings. Wild kudzu has strong adaptability, likes a warm and humid environment, has a certain tolerance to cold and drought, and is not very strict about soil requirements, but loose, fertile loam or sandy loam with good drainage is best. In production it is mainly propagated by seeds and cuttings, and root-head propagation and layering propagation are also used.
Propagation methods for kudzu root
1. Seed propagation: Around Qingming, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 1 to 2 days and stir them often. After taking them out and drying off the water, open holes in the middle of the prepared beds and sow, with holes 3 cm deep and a plant spacing of 35 to 40 cm, 4 to 6 seeds per hole, level the holes and water them, and seedlings emerge in about 10 days.
2. Cutting propagation: When digging up kudzu root in autumn, select and keep sturdy vine stems, cut off the head and tail, choose the middle part and cut it into 25 to 30 cm cuttings, each cutting with 3 to 4 nodes, place them in a cool place mixed with wet sand for temporary planting, and in the second year around Qingming open holes on the beds and insert the cuttings.
Planting methods for kudzu root
1. Land selection and preparation: Kudzu root is not very strict about soil requirements. Before winter, combined with plowing, apply 2000 to 3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. In the following spring, shallow plow again, break up clods, rake fine and level, and make beds 1 to 1.2 m wide for later use, with ditches about 30 cm between beds.
2. Cultivation and weeding: Kudzu root grows relatively fast. When it grows to 1 to 2 m, cultivate and weed. Usually, weed once before germination in early spring and once after leaf fall in late autumn, and generally no frequent weeding is needed during the growing period.
3. Reasonable topdressing: Topdressing for kudzu root can be carried out together with cultivation and weeding. The green-up fertilizer is mainly decomposed human manure water, 1000 kg per mu, and urea can be appropriately applied together. The overwintering fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure. During the peak growth period each year, a small amount of potassium fertilizer can be applied together with watering.
4. Trellising and guiding vines: Kudzu root cultivation requires trellising. A wooden post can be set every 2 to 3 m between two rows, with wire connecting the posts. Bamboo poles or wire are tied between beds to facilitate climbing. When the seedlings are 30 cm tall, the vines can be guided onto the trellis.
5. Bud pinching and pruning: During the growing period of kudzu root, the growth of stems and vines should be controlled, and the terminal buds should be pinched off to reduce nutrient consumption. The plant shape should also be reasonably adjusted to make full use of sunlight, and dead vines and diseased or disabled branches should be cut off in time.
6. Pest and disease control: During the growing period of kudzu root, the main pests include crickets and scarab beetles. Crickets can be killed by spraying with 2000 times dilution of 80% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate. For scarab beetles, spray the leaf surface in May to June with 1000 times dilution of 90% crystalline trichlorfon. For other pests, dimethoate, insecticides, and so on can be used.
7. Timely harvesting: Kudzu root cultivation can be harvested in late autumn and early winter of the 2nd to 3rd year or before early spring. Dig out all the roots, remove the stems and vines and fibrous roots, scrape off the coarse bark, cut into 10 cm small sections, and longitudinally cut into slices or strips about 5 cm thick. They can be dried on a heated bed as they are cut, or soaked in 2% lime water and then sun-dried.