The Latest Cat's Claw (Ranunculus ternatus) Planting Techniques and Cultivation Method Tutorial

Cat's claw (Ranunculus ternatus) is the tuberous root of Ranunculus ternatus, a plant of the genus Ranunculus in the family Ranunculaceae. Apart from Xiao Mao Gen (Ranunculus ternatus), which is used medicinally for its tuberous root, most are used medicinally as the whole plant. It can treat many diseases and also kill insects. Modern pharmacology shows that cat's claw and its preparations have therapeutic effects on pulmonary tuberculosis, lymphatic tuberculosis, and various cancers and lymphomas. It can also be used as a garden plant. Now let's take a look at cat's claw planting techniques!

Planting Environment

Cat's claw is a neutral plant with strong adaptability. It likes light but also tolerates shade, and prefers a warm and humid climate. It is not demanding about soil and is best grown in loose, moderately moist, fertile humus loam. It is relatively tolerant of water and moisture, growing in flat wet grasslands, field-edge wasteland, or hillside grass clusters, and can also be seen growing in mid-mountain areas above 1000 meters in altitude. In China it is distributed in Guangxi, Taiwan, China, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, and other provinces.

Original Seed Cultivation

For cat's claw original seed cultivation, land preparation begins in August each year. Apply 5000 kg of pigpen manure, 50 kg of compound fertilizer, and 10 kg of urea per mu. Deep plow and harrow finely, level and make beds, with a bed width of 16.5 m and a ditch width of 26.4 cm. Cultivation begins in September, with a plant-to-row spacing of 10 cm × 13.2 cm, covering with 1.6 cm of soil, watering thoroughly, and harvesting each year at the Start of Summer season.

Daughter Plant Propagation

For cat's claw daughter plant propagation, fertilization and land preparation are the same as for original seed cultivation. Plant in spring and autumn. In spring, division propagation begins from January to April; in autumn, division propagation is from August to December. Plant-to-row spacing is 10 cm × 13.2 cm, cover with 1.6 cm of soil, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and keep the soil moist during the growing period. During the vigorous growth period, apply a small amount of urea as a top dressing, using 5 kg of urea per mu diluted with water for irrigation to promote growth.

Seed Plant Storage

After harvesting cat's claw at the Start of Summer season, cut off the stems and leaves and store them. Spread a 10 cm thick layer of yellow sand indoors, then spread the grass stems on top of the yellow sand in a 10 cm thick layer, then spread another layer of yellow sand. You can spread 5 to 6 layers, keeping the yellow sand moist. Alternatively, you can let them overwinter naturally in the original growing field, water in August, and in September the cat's claw breaks through the soil, with seedlings emerging uniformly in 15 days. In October, dig and divide the plants for cultivation as you go.

Field Management

Because cat's claw has a shallow root system, do not use hoeing for weed control; instead, weeds must be pulled by hand. Keep the soil moist at all times, pay attention to watering during the growing period, and apply top dressing twice during the seedling stage. Cat's claw has two optimal growth periods: from Frost's Descent to Light Snow, and from Awakening of Insects to Pure Brightness. After the plants survive and become established, loosen the soil and remove weeds in a timely manner, taking care not to damage the roots. Since cat's claw is a winter-growing medicinal plant, it can safely overwinter at no less than -40 degrees C, with no special management required.