How to Grow Sweet Wormwood from Seed? Latest Cultivation Method Explained in Detail

Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Artemisia in the Asteraceae family, with a whole growth period of about 120 days. It prefers moisture, is averse to drought, fears waterlogging, and requires sufficient light. Its medicinal value is very high; derivatives of its extract artemisinin can be used to produce many series of medicines. Moreover, the crop is coarse-growing and easy to manage, with a short growth period, low investment and quick returns. Now let us take a look at how to grow sweet wormwood from seed!

Seed Collection and Land Preparation

Sweet wormwood seeds are collected in September to October. Cut back the seed plants that have gradually matured, dry them, shake off the seeds, remove the seed husks and impurities, and store them for later use. Sow in mid-February. Before sowing, choose sunny, moist alluvial soil, preferably at an altitude of 600 to 750 m. First apply 2000 to 2500 kg of organic fertilizer per mu onto the selected ground, then plow the land, turn the applied base fertilizer into the soil, till finely and level, and make raised beds 1.3 m high, with the beds oriented east-west and the bed height 20 cm.

Sowing and Seedling Raising

Before sowing sweet wormwood, first mix the seeds into seed ash, spread them evenly over the bed surface, then cover thinly with a layer of plant ash, just enough to cover the seeds. After emergence, pay attention to preventing drought and protecting the seedlings. During the seedling stage, apply light human and livestock manure water as topdressing, 800 kg per mu. When the plants are 5 to 10 cm tall, they can be transplanted. The seeding rate per mu of seedling land is 100 to 150 g, which can yield 280,000 to 300,000 transplantable seedlings, enough to plant 2.67 hectares of land.

Land Preparation and Transplanting

For the transplanting land of sweet wormwood, use 2000 to 2500 kg of farmyard manure or cattle and horse stable manure per mu, add 100 to 150 kg of superphosphate, mix well, broadcast over the ground, turn into the soil, till finely and level. Make raised beds 1.3 m high with ditches 10 to 15 cm deep, with the beds oriented north-south, and then planting can begin. Dig holes in the beds at a spacing of 26.5×26.5 cm, plant 1 plant per hole, using 7500 to 12000 seedlings per mu. If wide-narrow row planting is adopted, ginger can be intercropped within the rows, or corn can be sown at 0.8×1.2 m, with sweet wormwood planted in the wide rows of corn at 40×60 cm.

Field Management

From transplanting to harvest, sweet wormwood must be weeded 2 to 3 times. Topdressing is carried out together with weeding, and 1 to 2 applications of foliar topdressing may also be added. The first time, after the seedlings survive, carry out shallow hoeing; after hoeing, apply 1000 to 1500 kg of light human and livestock manure water, 3 to 5 kg of urea, and 2 to 3 kg of superphosphate per mu, mix evenly, and apply into the holes. The second time, before row closure, carry out 1 intertillage and weeding; after weeding, apply 1000 to 1500 kg of human and livestock manure water, 10 kg of urea, 30 kg of superphosphate, and 10 kg of potassium chloride per mu, evenly applied into the holes. When sweet wormwood grows to 1 m tall, pinch off the tender tips of 0.5 cm at the top to promote more lateral branching and increase yield.

Pest and Disease Control

The main disease of sweet wormwood is powdery mildew, also known as winter melon powdery mildew. It occurs in June to July, mainly harming the leaves. The disease develops from old leaves to new leaves, with powdery mildew covering the entire leaf, consisting of the pathogen's ascocarps. When it occurs, spray 2 to 3 times with 0.3 Baume degrees lime sulfur mixture, or spray with wettable triadimefon diluted 500 to 800 times with water for control. The main pest of sweet wormwood is aphids, which harm the tender shoots. Spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution to kill and control them.

Harvesting and Processing

Sweet wormwood can be harvested in the bud stage from July to August in the same year of transplanting, because the artemisinin content in the bud stage reaches 0.986 to 1%, which is the suitable harvest period. At harvest, cut down the whole plant and dry it in the sun, beat off the dry leaves with a wooden stick or mat cover, pick out impurities, stems and branches, and store in a ventilated and dry place for later use. The dried leaves of sweet wormwood can be directly used in medicinal formulas in measured amounts. If extracting artemisinin, package the leaves immediately after drying, transport them to a pharmaceutical factory, and extract the active ingredients according to a certain process flow.