The Latest Wangbuliuxing Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Wangbuliuxing, also known as Wangbuliuxing and Cowherb, among other names, is the dried seed of the Caryophyllaceae plant Cowherb (Vaccaria hispanica). Medicinally, it has the functions of activating blood and unblocking meridians, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and promoting labor and lactation. It mostly grows wild in wasteland and along roadsides, is tolerant of drought and poor soil, and can also grow together with wheat. Its adaptability is extremely strong, and its yield per mu is stable at between 150 and 300 kg. Now let us take a look at the planting techniques for Wangbuliuxing.

Growth Habits of Wangbuliuxing

Wangbuliuxing prefers a warm climate and has no strict requirements for soil. It avoids waterlogging. If planted in low-lying, water-accumulating areas, the roots are prone to rotting during the rainy season, and the aboveground parts gradually turn yellow and die, and in severe cases there may even be no harvest at all. In overly dry areas, the plants grow short and the yield is very low. It grows in fields, roadsides, and wasteland, and is most common in wheat fields. In China, it is distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, and other places.

Sowing Techniques for Wangbuliuxing

1. Seed selection and preparation for sowing: Wangbuliuxing is usually propagated by seed. When selecting seeds, choose plump, glossy, black, mature seeds, dry them in the sun, and store them. Sowing time should be set from mid-to-late September to early October after the stubble of large autumn crops is cleared. In northern regions, sow in mid-April, and spring sowing with summer harvest is also possible.

2. Land selection and preparation: For planting Wangbuliuxing, choose gentle mountain slopes and well-drained sandy loam and clay loam. After the land is selected, apply decomposed base fertilizer in combination with autumn plowing, 3000 to 4000 kg per mu. If 20 to 30 kg of superphosphate is also applied, seed yield can be increased.

3. Sowing methods: Wangbuliuxing can be sown by dibbling or drilling. For dibbling, on the prepared seedbed, dig holes at a row spacing of 25×20 cm and a depth of 3 to 5 cm. Then, at a seeding rate of 1 kg per mu, mix the seeds evenly with plant ash and human and livestock manure water to make seed ash, scatter a small pinch evenly into each hole, and after sowing cover with fine fertile soil 1 to 2 cm thick. For drilling, open shallow furrows at a row spacing of 25 to 30 cm and a depth of about 3 cm, then scatter the seed ash evenly into the furrows, and after sowing cover with fine soil 1.5 to 2 cm thick, using about 1.5 kg of seed per mu.

Planting Techniques for Wangbuliuxing

1. Cultivation and weeding: When the Wangbuliuxing seedlings are 7 to 10 cm tall, carry out the first cultivation and weeding. Loosen the soil shallowly to avoid damaging the roots, and pull weeds by hand. In combination with cultivation and weeding, thin and fill in seedlings, leaving 4 to 5 strong seedlings per hole. For drilling, thin seedlings at a plant spacing of 15 cm. If there are missing plants, use the strong seedlings removed during thinning to fill them in. The second cultivation and weeding is carried out in spring of the second year in February to March in combination with final thinning.

2. Timely topdressing: Wangbuliuxing is generally topdressed 2 to 3 times. The first time, when the seedlings are 7 to 10 cm tall, after cultivation and weeding, apply 1500 kg of dilute human and livestock manure water per mu or 5 kg of urea. After cultivation and weeding in spring of the second year, apply 2000 kg of thicker human and livestock manure water and 20 kg of superphosphate per mu, or use 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution for 1 to 2 foliar topdressings, which helps increase yield.

3. Disease and pest control: For leaf spot disease of Wangbuliuxing, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, or spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaves to enhance the plants' disease resistance. At the early stage of the disease, spray 500 to 600 times diluted 65% zineb, or 800 to 1000 times diluted 50% carbendazim, or 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture, once every 7 to 10 days, for 2 to 3 consecutive sprays. The fruit borer damages the fruit as larvae; spray with 1000 times diluted 90% trichlorfon or 1000 times diluted 80% dichlorvos to kill them.

4. Harvesting and processing: Wangbuliuxing is harvested in April to May of the second year after autumn sowing. Generally, when most of the seeds have turned yellow-brown and a few have turned black, promptly cut the aboveground parts level with the ground. If harvesting is too late, the seeds easily shatter and are difficult to collect. After cutting and bringing them back, place them in a ventilated, dry place to after-ripen for 5 to 7 days. When all the seeds have turned black, dry them in the sun, thresh, winnow away impurities, and then sun-dry until completely dry to make the commercial product. If intercropped with wheat, it can be harvested together with the wheat.