How to Grow Blackberry Lily (Shegan) for High Yield: Latest Planting and Management Technique Guide
Blackberry lily, also called Cungan, Wushan, or Golden Butterfly, belongs to the Iridaceae family. Its rhizome is used as medicine and has the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, resolving phlegm, and soothing the throat. Its rhizome contains components such as irigenin and sheganone, and has effects such as anti-inflammatory detoxification, antiviral, diuretic, and inhibiting cervical cancer cells. Blackberry lily is mainly produced in Hubei, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces, and is also distributed in Zhejiang, Fujian, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces and regions. Blackberry lily prefers warmth; when the temperature is 20-25°C and soil moisture is 50%, the seeds begin to germinate; when the temperature is 25-35°C, with long sunlight hours, high soil temperature, and sufficient rainfall, blackberry lily grows vigorously; blackberry lily is drought-tolerant and cold-tolerant, and can overwinter naturally in areas where the temperature is -17°C. Blackberry lily has low soil requirements, and plants grow well in sandy loam soil on higher terrain that is fertile, loose, and well-drained. The soil pH is best neutral to slightly alkaline. Rhizomes rot easily in low-lying waterlogged land.
Site Selection and Land Preparation
For blackberry lily planting land, it is advisable to choose sandy loam land, flat land, or gentle slope land with higher terrain, facing the sun, deep soil layers, and good drainage. If using barren hillside land for planting, it is advisable to plow the land in the autumn and winter of the previous year so that it undergoes a period of weathering and maturation, then plow once more in the following spring to remove tree roots, weeds, and stones. For planting in cultivated land, plow once before planting, apply 2000 kg of compost or barnyard manure, 25 kg of superphosphate, and 50 kg of cake fertilizer per 667 sq m (1 mu) as base fertilizer, then shallow rake once after application to mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, and build raised beds 120-130 cm wide, or ridge planting with a width of 50-60 cm.
Planting
Planting can be done in March in spring or in November in autumn. When planting, on the prepared bed surface, open holes at a row spacing of 25 cm × 20 cm or 30 cm × 20 cm, with a hole depth of 15 cm. Apply 0.5 kg of farmyard manure at the bottom of the hole, mix it evenly with the hole soil, then place 1-2 segments of seed rhizome in each hole with the buds facing upward, or plant 1-2 seedlings per hole, cover with soil and press firmly, pour in dilute human and livestock manure water, then cover with soil again and level the bed surface.
If blackberry lily is direct-seeded, spring sowing or autumn sowing can be carried out. Spring sowing is done in early March, and autumn sowing is done in October. On the prepared bed surface, dig holes at a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 25 cm, with a hole depth of 6 cm. Level the bottom of the hole, first apply 0.5 kg of dry manure fertilizer to each hole, mix it evenly with the soil in the hole, then cover with about 2 cm of fine soil. Sow 5-6 seeds per hole, cover with fine soil after sowing, and cover the bed surface with straw. Strengthen management after sowing, water frequently to keep the bed soil moist, so as to facilitate seed germination and seedling emergence and seedling growth. After seedlings emerge, cultivate and weed in time, thin seedlings when the seedlings are 6-10 cm tall, thinning out weak and small seedlings and keeping strong and large seedlings, leaving 1-2 seedlings per hole. The seed rate is about 5 kg per 667 sq m.
Cultivation and Weeding
After blackberry lily emerges or survives transplanting, cultivate and weed frequently to facilitate plant growth, usually 3-4 times per year. If it is the first year of spring sowing, carry out once in May, July, and November respectively. In the second year, carry out 3 times, in March, June, and November respectively. After the rows close, no more cultivation and weeding are done. In addition, after the plants wither and turn yellow each November, combine cultivation and weeding with one hilling, using fine soil from the furrows to mound around the root zone, so as to facilitate overwintering of the plants and prevent lodging.
Topdressing
Blackberry lily is a fertilizer-loving plant. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, topdress once each in spring, summer, autumn, and winter of the second year. For spring and summer topdressing, apply 1500 kg of human and livestock manure water or 25-30 kg of urea per 667 sq m, opening holes 10 cm away from the plants and applying it. In autumn, apply 1500-2000 kg of mixed barnyard manure and plant ash, and 25 kg of compound fertilizer per 667 sq m, then hill up after application. In winter, apply 1500 kg of decomposed barnyard manure, 20 kg of plant ash, 25 kg of superphosphate, and 30 kg of compound fertilizer per 667 sq m, mix evenly and apply, then hill up after application. The first two topdressings can promote the growth of aboveground stems and leaves, while the latter two topdressings can promote rhizome growth and increase yield.
Drainage and Irrigation
Blackberry lily is afraid of waterlogging. After heavy rain, dredge the ditches in time and drain the water from the field to prevent rhizome rot. Although blackberry lily is drought-tolerant, the bed soil should be kept moist during the seedling stage and after transplanting to facilitate seedling growth. If drought occurs during the seedling stage, water or irrigate appropriately. After the seedlings are 10 cm tall, water less or not at all.
Bud Removal
When propagated by rhizome, it can bloom in the same year; when raised from seeds and transplanted or direct-seeded, it will not bloom until the following year, and its flowering period is long, with many flowers and fruits, which consumes a large amount of nutrients and affects rhizome growth. Except for seed production fields, remove the flower buds when the plants bolt, choosing a sunny morning after the dew has dried, and remove them thoroughly in stages and batches.