How Do You Select and Harvest Polygala tenuifolia Seeds? What Are the Seedling Methods?

Polygala tenuifolia, also called yaorao, jiyuan and other names, is mainly produced in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, Central China and Sichuan. Polygala tenuifolia is a perennial herb with a thick main root and fleshy phloem, and has the functions of calming the mind and improving intelligence, resolving phlegm and reducing swelling, with relatively large market demand. So how do you select and harvest Polygala tenuifolia seeds? What are the seedling methods? Let's take a look together below.

1. How do you select and harvest Polygala tenuifolia seeds?

Growers planting Polygala tenuifolia should, according to local actual conditions, choose suitable Polygala tenuifolia seeds and remove seeds that are moldy, not plump, or deformed.

Polygala tenuifolia generally splits open when the capsule matures, and the seeds easily scatter on the ground, so growers should harvest the seeds promptly when the fruit matures in July to August.

2. What are the seedling methods for Polygala tenuifolia?

1. Sowing time

For Polygala tenuifolia, spring sowing is carried out in mid-to-late April, and autumn sowing is carried out in mid-to-late August, according to local conditions, and it must not be too late, so as to ensure that after emergence the seedlings do not die because the temperature is too low. Generally, water the prepared ground first, and sow after the water has seeped down. 

2. Land selection and preparation

Choose high, dry terrain. With good drainage, ordinary land can generally be used for planting. Before land preparation, scatter base fertilizer; because Polygala tenuifolia is a perennial herb, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied, commonly barnyard manure or compost at 2500 kg per mu, and superphosphate at 50 kg, then plow, harrow and level. In the north, flat-field drilling is mostly used.

3. Sowing and seedling raising

For Polygala tenuifolia, use 1 to 1.5 kg of seed per mu. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water or a 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution for 1 day and night, then take them out and mix with 3 to 5 times fine sand. For autumn sowing, use the current year's seeds and sow in late August, and the seedlings emerge in the second spring. 

4. Seedling raising and transplanting

Polygala tenuifolia seedling raising and transplanting is carried out in early-to-mid March, drilling on the seedbed, covering with about 1 cm of soil, keeping the seedbed moist, with the temperature preferably controlled at 15 to 20°C. About 10 days after sowing, the seedlings emerge, and when the seedlings are 5 cm tall, field planting is carried out.

5. Harvesting

Polygala tenuifolia uses the root as medicine, and is harvested 2 to 3 years after sowing, with the highest yield and best quality from 3 years of growth. Harvest in autumn after the seedlings wither or before spring sprouting. First dig out the roots, and be careful when digging so as not to bruise the root bark. After removing the fibrous roots and washing off the soil, first spread them on a cement surface and sun-dry for 3 to 4 days. When half-dried, put the Polygala tenuifolia root strips into a bag, fill it full and press it firm.

The above is an introduction to Polygala tenuifolia. As a traditional bulk medicinal material in China, Polygala tenuifolia has high medicinal value and large demand. In recent years, with the continuous maturity of artificial cultivation techniques, growing Polygala tenuifolia has become a specialty industry for many farmers in mountainous areas.

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