Unicorn Lotus Seeds: Latest Prices and a Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
Unicorn lotus, also known as Dishui ginseng, Tiannanxing, Baifuzi, and other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Typhonium in the Araceae family. It gets its name because its leaves curl inward when young, resembling a unicorn horn, like “a little lotus just showing its pointed tip”. As a medicinal herb, it has the effects of drying dampness and transforming phlegm, dispelling wind and stopping spasms, and detoxifying and dispersing nodules. Now let us take a look together at the price of unicorn lotus seeds and its planting methods!
How much does a jin of unicorn lotus seeds cost?
The price of unicorn lotus seeds is about 30 to 40 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, and other factors. Unicorn lotus can be propagated by tubers and seeds, but in production, asexual propagation by tubers is the main method. At harvest in autumn, the small tubers growing around the corm are used as planting material. There are two types of small tubers: those with roots and those without roots. After planting, the larger rooted tubers can be harvested in the same year, while the smaller unrooted tubers are planted and harvested the following year.
Growing conditions for unicorn lotus
Unicorn lotus grows in wasteland, on hillsides, and beside ditches. It tolerates cold, shade, and drought, and prefers a cool and rather shady, moist environment. The soil is best a well-drained sandy loam. Generally, black loam, sandy loam, flat land, sloping land, and mountain land can all support its growth, but the soil should not be too clayey or too alkaline. It is not strict about the previous crop, and it grows well in both grain fields and vegetable plots. High yields can be obtained by cultivation under forest or by intercropping in vineyards and fruit orchards.
Planting methods for unicorn lotus
1. Planting time: Unicorn lotus is generally planted in late April. On prepared land, make beds 1.3 m wide, then open horizontal furrows on the beds with a row spacing of 22 to 26 cm and a depth of 7 to 10 cm. Plant one tuber every 7 to 10 cm, with the bud tip facing upward.
2. Apply sufficient base fertilizer: When planting unicorn lotus, apply 2000 to 3000 kg of barnyard manure or compost per mu. After applying the manure, cover with soil level with the bed surface, with a covering depth of 4 to 5 cm, and press lightly. Use 20 to 25 kg of small tubers per mu.
3. Field management: The growing period of unicorn lotus is very short, and seedlings emerge relatively late, generally around June. In mid-month, carry out cultivating, weeding, and fertilizing. In early August, carry out cultivating and weeding again and apply topdressing once more.
4. Harvesting and seed preservation: Unicorn lotus is dug up in late September. Separate the large and small ones. Clean the large ones of soil and fibrous roots, dry them in the sun, and use them for medicine. Keep the small tubers as planting material. Store the small tubers in a kiln, layering them with dry fine sand and soil, and keep them over winter. The kiln temperature should be kept at 2 to 5°C.