Detailed Guide to Anemarrhena Cultivation Techniques: Planting Methods and Management Key Points
Cultivation Techniques for Anemarrhena:
(1) Site Selection and Land Preparation
Choose a sunny site with good drainage and loose humus soil or sandy loam. Apply 2000-3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, 40-50 kg of cake fertilizer, and 30 kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu, spreading them evenly across the field. Plow to a depth of 20 cm, level the surface, and form raised beds 130 cm wide.
(2) Planting Methods
1. Seed propagation: Anemarrhena seeds mature successively around Major Heat (Dashu). After harvesting, thresh and remove all impurities, then store in a ventilated, dry place for later use. Seed propagation can be done in spring or autumn. Spring sowing is in April; autumn sowing is in October-November. In the prepared beds, open furrows 2 cm deep at a row spacing of 30-35 cm. Scatter the seeds evenly into the furrows, cover with soil, rake level, press down lightly, and water. Keep the soil surface moist; seedlings emerge in about 20 days. About 1-1.5 kg of seeds are needed per mu. Autumn sowing gives a higher germination rate and more uniform emergence.
2. Root division propagation: For spring planting, do it after the soil thaws and before sprouting; for autumn planting, do it after the aboveground stems and leaves turn yellow and wither. In the prepared beds, open holes at a row spacing of 30-35 cm and a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, with a hole depth of 7 cm. Take the dug-out Anemarrhena rhizomes, trim off the remaining stems, leaves, and fibrous roots, and break the rhizomes with buds into small sections 4-7 cm long. Place one section in each hole with the bud pointing upward. Cover with soil and water. Alternatively, irrigate heavily once before planting, then prepare the land and make beds for planting, but the bed surface should not be too wet to prevent root rot. About 90 kg of rhizome seed pieces are needed per mu.
(3) Field Management
After sowing, keep the soil moist; seedlings emerge in about 20 days. When seedlings are 3-4 cm tall, loosen the soil and weed. When seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, thin to a plant spacing of 15-20 cm. If the weather is dry during the seedling stage, water appropriately. Anemarrhena propagated by rhizome division grows slowly in the first year, so water lightly. In the second year, growth is vigorous, and the frequency of watering should be appropriately increased. For root-division plantings in the same year and for direct-seeded plants in the second year, when seedlings are 15-20 cm tall, apply 20 kg of superphosphate plus 10 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu as a top dressing. Open furrows between the rows, apply the fertilizer, and then bury it in the soil while loosening the soil. If seed production is not needed, promptly cut off the flower stalks. During hot and rainy seasons, pay attention to draining excess water.
(4) Pest and Disease Control
Anemarrhena has strong disease resistance and generally does not require special control with pesticides.
The main pest is white grubs, which damage seedlings and rhizomes. Use conventional methods for control.
(5) Harvesting and Processing
1. Harvesting: Both cultivated and wild Anemarrhena are dug in spring and autumn. In spring, dig after the soil thaws and before sprouting; in autumn, dig after the aboveground stems and leaves wither and before the ground freezes. Use a pickaxe to dig out the underground rhizomes, remove the stems, leaves, fibrous roots, and soil to obtain fresh Anemarrhena. Fresh Anemarrhena dug at the appropriate time in spring or autumn has a high dried-to-fresh ratio and good quality. Wild Anemarrhena is generally best harvested in autumn. This is because it is difficult to find before spring sprouting, and digging after sprouting has a certain impact on commercial quality. For cultivated Anemarrhena, the harvest period is 4-5 years when propagated by seed and generally 3-4 years when propagated by rhizome.
2. Processing into Mao Zhi Mu (Hairy Anemarrhena): (1) Sun-drying method: Place the harvested fresh Anemarrhena on a sunny open yard or drying platform, pile and beat it repeatedly, turning it over once every 7 days, repeating this process many times until thoroughly dried; this is Mao Zhi Mu. It generally takes about 60-70 days. (2) Oven-drying method: Place the fresh Anemarrhena on a heated brick bed in a drying room, turning it while drying so that it is heated evenly. When half-dry, take it out to a drying platform for sun-drying. Pick out the ones with higher moisture content and continue oven-drying. When 80-90% dry, sun-dry again and sort again. After two rounds in and out, it will be dry. Do not rush the oven-drying to prevent scorching.
Zhi Mu Rou (Anemarrhena Flesh): Scrape off the outer skin while fresh and sun-dry; this is Zhi Mu Rou. If sunlight is sufficient, it generally dries in 2-3 days.