How to Grow Lithospermum for High Yield? Latest High-Yield Cultivation Technique Guide
Lithospermum is a plant of the genus Lithospermum in the borage family (Boraginaceae). Its flowers are purple and its roots are purple, and it can be used to dye things purple, hence its name. Also known as mountain lithospermum, purple cinnabar, and lithospermum root, it is mainly distributed in the United States, the southeastern coastal regions, Central America, Europe and temperate regions, and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In China, lithospermum producing areas are also distributed in Liaoning, Shanxi, Hunan, Gansu, Shandong, Hubei, Guangxi, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Hebei, Henan and other places, as well as Japan and Korea. It grows in areas at altitudes of 50 m to 2,500 m, mostly on hillside grasslands, and artificial introduction and cultivation have now begun. It mostly grows on hillside grasslands and is a plant native to China (not introduced from abroad). It is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine. In spring and autumn, dig up the roots, remove the remaining stems and soil (do not wash with water, to prevent fading), dry in the sun or dry over a low fire, and use raw. Both the roots and flowers of lithospermum contain pigments, acetylshikonin, shikonane, isobutyrylshikonin, etc.
Climate
Lithospermum is cold-tolerant, averse to high temperatures, and afraid of waterlogging. Calcareous loam, sandy loam, and clay loam are best for the soil.
Land Preparation
After deeply plowing and raking the soil level, open small furrows with a furrow spacing of 20-30 cm. Apply manure or green manure in the furrows.
Planting
1. Seedling raising method: Sow in early April. First water the seedbed, and after the water has seeped down, broadcast the seeds, cover with more than 1 cm of soil, and keep it constantly moist. Seedlings emerge in 15-22 days. When the seedlings are 6-10 cm tall, transplant them to the field with a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 10-15 cm, press lightly, and then water.
2. Direct seeding method: Sow around Qingming, in drills, opening shallow furrows at a row spacing of 30 cm, sow the seeds evenly, and press after sowing. When the seedlings are about 6 cm tall, thin them to a plant spacing of 10-15 cm.
Management
During the seedling stage, prevent high temperatures and direct sunlight, and pay attention to watering, weeding, and loosening the soil. Drain promptly during the rainy season. When the seedlings are 20-25 cm tall, apply 20-25 jin of superphosphate per mu, then cover with soil and water.
Fertilization
It is advisable to choose high-lying, well-drained, loose and fertile sandy loam or loam for planting. Before sowing, apply 75,000 kg of farmyard manure per hectare, plow deeper than 30 cm, break up the soil finely and rake it level, and make beds 100 cm wide, ready for sowing.
Propagation Methods
Propagate by seeds, divided into autumn sowing and spring sowing. Autumn sowing runs from after the seeds are harvested until the ground freezes in early November; autumn-sown seeds begin to germinate in early April of the second year, and full emergence occurs from late April to early May. Spring sowing is carried out from March to early April, and seedlings emerge from late April to early May. Spring-sown seeds must undergo low-temperature treatment to allow the embryo to develop and mature; if the seeds are sown dry, they will not emerge that year. Sowing methods are divided into the drill sowing method and the broadcast sowing method.
1. Seed treatment: From late October to early November, mix the seeds evenly with wet sand at 1:3, then store them in a pit. Dig a soil pit 45 cm deep and 30 cm each in length and width on a sunny slope, place a small amount of branches at the bottom of the pit, spread a layer of leaves on top, put the seeds in, then cover with 10 cm of soil. During the sand storage of the seeds, pay attention to preventing damage by rodents. Around Qingming of the following year, when most of the seeds have sprouted, sow them.
2. Drill sowing: Open shallow furrows 3 cm deep at a row spacing of 15-20 cm, sow the seeds evenly, cover with 3 cm of soil after sowing, and press after sowing. The dosage is 22.5-30 kg per hectare.
3. Broadcast sowing: Spread the seeds evenly over the bed surface, cover with 2-3 cm of soil, and after sowing make the seeds contact the soil and press lightly. The sowing rate is 30 kg per hectare.
After the seeds are treated and sown in spring, they begin to emerge within about 10 days given sufficient temperature and humidity.