What are the methods for selecting Atractylodes lancea seeds and raising seedlings?

Atractylodes lancea is a common type of rhizomatous medicinal herb. It can be harvested in spring and autumn, washed clean, sun-dried, and after the root fibers are removed, it can be used as medicine. The name Atractylodes lancea comes from its appearance: its shape resembles old ginger, which is called "zhu," and its color is grayish-green. It is warm in nature and pungent and bitter in taste, with excellent pharmacological properties, so its cultivation returns are considerable. So how do you select Atractylodes lancea seeds? What are the seedling-raising methods? Let's find out together.

How do you select Atractylodes lancea seeds?

Use fresh Atractylodes lancea tubers planted the previous year as seeds, and require them to be plump, brightly colored, and highly mature; at the same time, the seeds must not be affected by pests or diseases. Atractylodes lancea seeds have rather special habits and like to germinate in a lower-temperature environment, sprouting and growing seedlings after about 15 days. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water first, and once small white sprouts grow on the seeds, they can be sown.

What are the seedling-raising methods?

1. Site selection and land preparation

First, select a site for raising Atractylodes lancea seedlings, choosing a place with higher altitude and a cooler temperature, and requiring relatively fertile soil, loose texture, and good drainage. If sowing in autumn or winter, plowing measures need to be taken; while for land sown in spring, the field does not need to be plowed too frequently, only 1 to 2 times, but attention should be paid to pest and disease control while loosening the soil.

2. Sowing and seedling raising

When sowing the seeds, pay attention to the spacing between seeds. The plant spacing should not be too narrow and should be kept at 15 cm, so as not to affect the seedlings' nutrient absorption. Open a ditch beside the seeds for sowing, with the ditch 2 cm deep. After leveling the soil in the ditch, scatter the seeds into the soil; cover the seeds with a layer of soil, then scatter in fertilizer or other nutrients, and cover with another layer of soil.

3. Seedbed management

After Atractylodes lancea germinates and the seedlings break through the soil, the top layer of thatch can be removed, and the weeds around them pulled out. If the seedlings are found to have diseases, especially insect-damaged seedlings and weak seedlings, they should also be pulled out. When the seedlings grow to a certain height, their row spacing needs to be reset, and at this time the plant spacing should be controlled at 3 cm, watering twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, while the use of fertilizer and the influence of weather cannot be ignored.

4. Field management

1) Weeding: carry out in summer each year, specifically from May to July, and loosen the soil before weeding.

2) Topdressing: on mornings in April, apply nitrogen fertilizer once a day, which can promote rapid and healthy growth of the seedlings; the second major fertilization period is from May to August each year; the third fertilization period requires potassium fertilizer.

3) Removing flower buds: when Atractylodes lancea grows flower buds, they need to be removed manually, choosing a sunny day and removing the buds one by one.

In short, Atractylodes lancea has very high medicinal value, and the planting and management of high-quality Atractylodes lancea is not simple and must be combined with actual planting conditions. In addition, scientific seed selection and seedling raising can effectively improve cultivation returns, thereby increasing the quality and yield of Atractylodes lancea.

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