The Latest Motherwort Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Motherwort is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Leonurus in the Lamiaceae family. It has been an essential medicine used by physicians through the ages to treat gynecological diseases, with effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation, and reducing water retention. It is divided into early-maturing motherwort and winter-type motherwort, and is generally propagated by seed, with high cultivation value. Now let us take a look at motherwort planting techniques!

Motherwort Planting Conditions

Motherwort prefers a warm and humid climate and plenty of sunlight. It is not demanding about soil, and can be planted in ordinary soil and on barren hillsides, though relatively fertile soil is best. It needs sufficient water, but should not be waterlogged, as it fears waterlogging. It grows in a variety of environments at elevations up to 3400 m, and is distributed in wild wastelands, roadsides, field ridges, hillside grasslands, riversides and other places, mostly in sunny spots.

Motherwort Propagation Techniques

1. Seed treatment: Before sowing motherwort, mix the seeds with wood ash or fine soil mixed manure, then treat the seeds with human and animal manure and urine plus New High Lipid Film to repel underground pests and diseases, isolate viral infection, strengthen respiration intensity, and improve the seed germination rate. Choose fresh seeds of the current year with a germination rate generally above 80%. For hole sowing, generally prepare 400-450 grams of seed per mu; for drill sowing, prepare 500-600 grams per mu.

2. Sowing time: Early-maturing motherwort can be sown in autumn, spring or summer, while winter-type motherwort must be sown in autumn. Spring sowing is best during the period from Yushui to Jingzhe. In the north, summer sowing is used to make use of summer fallow land for planting. In low-temperature areas, autumn sowing is mostly adopted, and the best time is during the period from Qiufen to Hanlu when the soil is moist.

3. Sowing methods: The propagation methods for motherwort by sowing include drill sowing, hole sowing and broadcast sowing. Plains areas mostly use drill sowing, while sloping land mostly uses hole sowing. Broadcast sowing is inconvenient to manage and is mostly not adopted. Before sowing, mix the seeds with wood ash or fine soil mixed manure, which can both ensure growth nutrients and prevent insect pests.

Motherwort Planting Techniques

1. Thinning and replanting: When motherwort seedlings are about 5 cm tall, begin thinning, then carry out 2-3 more thinnings successively, and fix the seedlings when they are 15-20 cm tall. For drill sowing, keep seedlings in staggered positions with a spacing of about 10 cm; for hole sowing, keep 2-3 seedlings per hole. If missing seedlings are found during thinning, transplant and replant them promptly.

2. Cultivation and weeding: Spring sowing requires cultivation and weeding 3 times, carried out when the seedlings are about 5 cm, 15 cm and 30 cm tall respectively. For summer sowing, carry out timely according to plant growth. For autumn sowing, carry out the first cultivation and weeding in the current year when the seedlings have grown 3-4 true leaves, and then carry out cultivation and weeding three more times the following year, in the same way as spring sowing. When cultivating and weeding, do not plow too deeply, so as not to damage the roots. During the seedling stage, cultivation should protect the seedlings well, prevent them from being pressed by clods of soil, and especially avoid injuring the stems. After the last cultivation, earth up to protect the roots.

3. Reasonable topdressing: After each cultivation and weeding of motherwort, apply topdressing once, preferably nitrogen fertilizer. Urea, ammonium sulfate, cake fertilizer or human and animal manure and urine can all be used. When topdressing, pay attention to watering, and never make the fertilizer too concentrated, so as not to damage the seedlings. Especially when applying cake fertilizer, it is emphasized that it should be crushed, thoroughly decomposed with water, diluted with water, and then applied. During the rainy season when rainfall is concentrated, prevent waterlogging and pay attention to timely drainage.

4. Pest and disease control: Motherwort diseases include powdery mildew, which can be controlled before and after onset with a 1000-fold solution of 25% Xiufenning. For sclerotinia disease, spray 1:500 Ruikumai, or spray 1:1:300 Bordeaux mixture, or spray a 500-fold solution of 40% Junheli, etc. There is also damage from mosaic disease and others. Pests include aphids, which occur in spring and autumn and can be controlled with chemical agents. Cutworms can be caught and killed in the morning or trapped and killed with grass piles.