Which Gastrodia elata seed variety is best? A detailed guide to seedling cultivation methods
Gastrodia elata is a common precious traditional Chinese medicinal herb, generally using its tubers as medicine, with the effects of dispelling wind, calming the nerves, relieving dizziness and soothing the spirit, and was once enjoyed exclusively by royalty. Wild Gastrodia elata is widely distributed across the country, and the main cultivation areas for commercial Gastrodia elata are in the Qinba Mountains centered on Hanzhong, Shaanxi, Yichang in Hubei, the Dabie Mountains in Anhui, Zhaotong in Yunnan, and other places. In recent years, the market price of Gastrodia elata has been stable with a slight rise, and the planting risk is small, so it has also attracted many growers. The key to artificial cultivation of Gastrodia elata lies in seed selection and seedling cultivation, so let us learn about it together below.
Which variety of Gastrodia elata seed is good?
1. Red Gastrodia elata
Red Gastrodia elata is generally distributed in the Yangtze River basin of our country, and is suitable for planting at an altitude of 500-1500 m in the Yangtze River basin. Its flower stem is flesh-red and its flower is orange-red, the fruit is oval, and the tuber is plump and thick. It is an excellent variety among Gastrodia elata suitable for artificial planting.
2. Green Gastrodia elata
The plant of green Gastrodia elata reaches 1-1.5 m, and it often grows mixed with other Gastrodia elata, but the quantity is relatively scarce. The stem is grass-green and the branches are blue-green, the tuber is inversely conical, and the seed germination rate is relatively high. It is generally planted in the southwest and northeast regions.
3. Black Gastrodia elata
The flower stem of black Gastrodia elata is grayish-brown, the flower is blue-green, and the fruit has ridges. Black Gastrodia elata has a good appearance and relatively good medicinal quality, but its meristematic ability is poor, and it is not drought-tolerant. It is mainly produced in high mountain areas above 1500 m in altitude.
4. Yellow Gastrodia elata
The plant of yellow Gastrodia elata reaches more than 1 m, the rhizome is ovate-oblong, and the tuber is extremely large, with a single one reaching 500 grams. The stem is pale yellow, and when young it is yellow-green. It is a domesticated cultivated variety in the southwestern provinces and regions of our country.
What are the seedling cultivation methods?
1. Selection of cultivation site
The site for cultivating seeds does not need to be in the same place as the cultivation fungus bed; it should be chosen in a place that is convenient to manage and can shelter from the wind, such as near a residence. However, it should not border vegetable plots on all sides, so as to prevent vegetable pests and diseases from spreading in and infecting the flower stem plants of Gastrodia elata. The soil is required to be loose and not waterlogged. If the soil is not good, other fixed materials that can retain moisture and drain water well can also be used instead.
2. Seedling cultivation time
Spring is the best time for raising Gastrodia elata seeds. Gastrodia elata has relatively strict environmental requirements, and temperature, air humidity, light level, etc. all need to be within a stable and suitable range, otherwise it cannot grow normally.
3. Sowing and seedling cultivation
Gastrodia elata seeds sown in spring need about twenty days to germinate. Arrange fungus material segments with a diameter of 5-8 cm and a length of 30 cm in a square frame shape like the character "tian" at the bottom of the seedbed, placing 15 fungus material segments per square meter, then scatter fungus branches with a diameter of about 2 cm and a length of 10 cm in the empty spaces of the fungus material square frames, scattering about 2 kg of fungus branches in each square frame space, level with the fungus materials. If the cutting seedling method is used, the morphological upper end and lower end of the plant are needed; otherwise, if the top faces downward, the plant cannot grow, because auxin can only be produced by the top and transported downward.
4. Seedling management
For temperature regulation, the suitable germination temperature for Gastrodia elata seeds is 22-25C. If the temperature is insufficient in the early stage of seedling cultivation, plastic film should be added or rice straw should be covered to increase the ground temperature. In addition, for good humidity control, the fungus bed should be kept moist frequently. Besides filling the pit with enough water when sowing, pay attention to frequently checking changes in humidity after sowing. When there is excessive rain in autumn, appropriate rain sheltering should be provided, and the drainage ditches around should be cleared to ensure that surface soil water is discharged in time.
The growth and development of Gastrodia elata have specific environmental conditions and material foundations, so it has strict requirements for natural conditions and geographical environment. In the process of planting Gastrodia elata in various places, it is necessary to combine local characteristics to select suitable varieties for planting. In addition, the production cycle of Gastrodia elata is relatively long, and from seedling cultivation to management and then to harvesting, sufficient preparation must be made.
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