The Latest Epimedium Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Epimedium is a perennial herb of the genus Epimedium in the family Berberidaceae. It grows under forests, in thickets along ditch banks, or in shady, damp spots on hillsides. In China, it is cultivated in Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Henan, Qinghai, Hubei, Sichuan and other regions. The whole plant is used for medicinal purposes and has extremely high medicinal and cultivation value. Now let us take a look at Epimedium planting techniques together!

Growth Habits of Epimedium

Epimedium prefers shade and moisture. Soil moisture of 25-30% and relative air humidity of 70-80% are suitable. It is fairly sensitive to light and avoids direct blazing sun, requiring about 80% shading. It has relatively strict soil requirements, preferring neutral acidic or slightly alkaline, loose, humus-rich, organic-rich oily sandy loam. It is suitable for growth in thickets, open forests, or semi-shaded forest edge environments at low and mid-mountain elevations of 450-1200 m.

Propagation Techniques for Epimedium

1. Rhizome propagation

① Rhizome selection: When digging wild Epimedium rhizomes as propagation material, choose ones with well-developed, thick and strong roots, abundant sap, many fibrous roots, root diameter of 0.3-0.5 cm or more, plump overwintering buds, and no pest or disease infection.

② Harvesting and storage: The withering period of Epimedium is from the end of September to mid-October, and the rhizome harvest period is during this time. Cut the dug rhizomes into small sections 10-15 cm long, each with more than 2 overwintering buds, and tie them into bundles for later use.

2. Seed propagation

① Seed harvesting: The maturity period of Epimedium seeds is from the end of May to early June. When the fruit peel is about to open and the seeds are exposed and brown, pick the fruits promptly, harvesting as they ripen. After transporting them back, thresh them, winnow out impurities, and keep them fresh for storage in time. The selected seeds must be fully mature, plump and intact in appearance, free of pathogenic bacteria, with a seed purity of 80%, a thousand-grain weight of 4.5-4.7 grams, no mold, and a germination rate of over 90%.

② Seed storage: Epimedium seeds have a short lifespan and should be sown immediately after harvest. Under special circumstances, after the seeds are selected, they can be stored by mixing with fine river sand, fine river sand plus humus soil, or humus soil. First disinfect the substrate with carbendazim at 1% of the substrate weight, then thoroughly mix the substrate and seeds at a ratio of 3:1, put them in a wooden box, and store in a cool, dry place with a rain shelter. During this period, check frequently to prevent heating, insufficient moisture, mold, etc. The storage period is about 2 months.

Seedling-Raising Techniques for Epimedium

1. Site selection and bed making: Choose natural conditions on shady slopes or semi-shady and semi-sunny slopes, with a slope of 35°C or less, and soil that is slightly acidic leaf humus soil, black loam soil, or black sandy loam soil. Cultivation can use broadleaf forests, mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests, or fruit tree economic forests. Remove the turf from the forest floor, and make strip beds 120-140 cm wide and 12-15 cm high along the slope, planting seedlings in horizontal strip trenches with a trench depth of 6-10 cm.

2. Sowing time: Epimedium seeds have a short lifespan and should be sown immediately after seed collection in mid-June. Seeds stored under special circumstances should also be sown before freezing in the same year. Under special circumstances, sowing can be done after the thaw in the following spring.

3. Broadcast seedling raising: For broadcasting Epimedium, dig shallow grooves 3-5 cm deep in the bed, smooth the groove bottoms with sifted fine humus soil, then sow. After sowing, cover with sifted fine humus soil 0.5-1 cm thick, then cover with a layer of fallen leaves and other materials to maintain soil moisture. Water thoroughly once before sowing or after covering with soil. Sowing rate is 10-15 grams per square meter.

4. Drill seedling raising: For drilling Epimedium, open trenches across the bed, with a row spacing of 10-15 cm and a trench depth of 3-4 cm. After opening the trenches, press the bottom firmly, then sow in the trenches, cover with soil 0.5-1 cm thick, and cover with fallen leaves and other materials. Sowing rate is 10 grams per cubic meter.

5. Forest understory seedling raising: For seed seedling raising under mountain forest, choose relatively flat gentle slope land, clear the understory thickets and weeds, and appropriately thin overly dense trees and branches so that the canopy density is about 0.5-0.7. Then make beds 1.2 m wide and 20-25 cm high along the slope diagonal, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and sow according to the flatland seedling raising method. For rhizome seedling raising under mountain forest, clear the understory thickets and weeds, make planting strips along the contour lines, loosen the soil according to a strip width of 30-50 cm, pick out stems and roots, and then plant.