The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Schizonepeta

Schizonepeta, also known as Jiesui, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family. The dried aerial parts of Schizonepeta are also known as Xiangjingjie, and its inflorescence is called Schizonepeta spike. It has the functions of inducing sweating, dispelling wind, and promoting eruption, and when charred it has a hemostatic effect. Schizonepeta is rich in aromatic oils, with the highest content in the leaves, and has a fresh flavor. It can also repel insects and sterilize, and can be eaten raw or cooked, but is mostly used as a cold-dish seasoning; generally the tender tips are used as a summer seasoning.

Schizonepeta is one of the commonly used Chinese herbal medicines, with broad market prospects, low investment, and quick results, making it a good project for farmers to get rich. Now please follow our editor to learn about the cultivation techniques of Schizonepeta.

Distribution Characteristics of Schizonepeta

Schizonepeta is distributed in most areas of the country, mainly produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hebei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and other places.

Schizonepeta generally has a plant height of 70-100 cm and has a strong fragrance. The stem is upright, four-angled, purplish-red at the base, and much branched in the upper part. The leaves are opposite; the basal leaves are petiolate or nearly sessile, pinnately parted into 3-5 lobes, with lobes linear to linear-lanceolate, entire, both surfaces pubescent, with sunken small glandular dots beneath, and veins inconspicuous. The verticillaster is arranged in many dense whorls at the branch tips forming a spike, with small, pale purple flowers. Schizonepeta has strong adaptability, prefers sunlight, and often grows in warm and humid environments. It is not strict about soil requirements and can be planted in ordinary soil, but grows better in loose and fertile soil. It is afraid of waterlogging in hot and rainy seasons.

Cultivation Techniques of Schizonepeta

1. Selection of land

The nutrients of Chinese medicinal plants mainly come from the soil, so when selecting a cultivation base for Chinese medicinal materials, not only should the adaptability of the medicinal material to ecological and climatic conditions, the fertility status of the soil, and its fertilizer-supplying characteristics be considered, but the heavy metals and toxic elements in the soil should also meet the standards stipulated by the state: cadmium content ≤0.3 mg/kg, mercury content ≤0.3 mg/kg, arsenic content ≤30 mg/kg, lead content ≤300 mg/kg, chromium content ≤200 mg/kg, copper content ≤100 mg/kg

The main air pollutants, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, should both not exceed the Class II standards stipulated in the national ambient air quality standard GB3095—1996.

The indicators of irrigation water should conform to the farmland irrigation water quality standards: groundwater pH 6.85—6.9, total hardness (CaCO3) 274—352 mg/L, chloride (Cl) 69.9—75.4 mg/L, potassium permanganate index 1.86—2.64 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen 0.9—0.10 mg/L, nitrate 0.08—0.09 mg/L, hexavalent chromium 0.002—0.003 mg/L.

It is best to choose flat, fertile soil without shade, facing the sun, with good drainage and irrigation.

2. Tillage of the land

Because Schizonepeta is sown relatively densely and fertilizing during the growing period is very inconvenient, after the land is selected, more base fertilizer should be applied. Generally, more than 1500-2000 kg per mu of organic fertilizer such as compost, manure, or smoked soil can be applied. Note: in continuous cropping land, base fertilizer should be increased, and nitrate nitrogen fertilizer, urban domestic waste, industrial waste, hospital waste, and night soil are prohibited. Spread the base fertilizer evenly on the ground, then carry out deep plowing, generally to a depth of about 25 cm.

After deep plowing, beds should be made according to the terrain and climatic conditions. Flat terrain can be made into long beds; undulating terrain can be made into short beds; in the south, where there is more rain, high beds can be made, which is conducive to drainage; in the north, where there is less rain, flat beds can be made. Generally, a bed width of 100—150 cm is suitable.

After the beds are made, in order to improve the germination rate of the seeds, the land should be irrigated to settle the soil moisture. After the soil dries, shallow plowing should be carried out. Before plowing, 3% phorate granules can be broadcast to prevent underground pests from damaging the seeds and affecting the germination rate.

3. Propagation methods of Schizonepeta

Schizonepeta is generally propagated by seed, usually sown in April. Before sowing, the seeds should be screened to pick out impurities and damaged seeds in the seed lot to ensure sowing purity and germination rate. Then soak the seeds in water for 12—24 hours, remove them, and dry them in a ventilated and dry place. This can promote internal metabolism of the seeds, enhance seed viability, and increase the germination rate.

Schizonepeta seeds are very small. In order to sow more evenly and avoid seeds being too dense and wasting seeds, after the seed surface is free of water, an appropriate amount of fine sand or fine soil can be mixed in. The ratio of seeds to sand is generally 3:1. Then stir evenly and sowing can begin.

Use a tool on the bed to open furrows along the bed, generally with a furrow spacing of about 20 cm and a furrow depth of about 5 cm. Sow the seeds into the furrows. Generally, the seeding rate per mu is about 1 kg.

After sowing, cover with soil about 3 cm. Tread lightly with the foot, then level with an iron rake so that the seeds are in close contact with the soil. Note that shallow sowing is required. After sowing, pay attention to watering to keep the bed surface soil moist, which is beneficial for emergence. After sowing, when the ground temperature is 16—18 degrees, emergence takes about 10—15 days. If the ground temperature is 19——25 degrees and the humidity is suitable, emergence takes about 1 week. Before and after emergence, also pay attention to keeping the soil moist.