Seedling Raising Methods and Technical Points for Pseudostellaria heterophylla

1. Seed selection: Pseudostellaria heterophylla is highly susceptible to mosaic virus disease, which has a very large impact on yield once it occurs. Therefore, it is best to choose the new Pseudostellaria heterophylla variety Kangdu No. 1, bred in Wendeng City, which has high resistance to mosaic virus.

2. Site selection: Choose sandy loam soil with good fertility and access to irrigation for cultivating Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Clay soil, waterlogged low-lying land, and plots whose previous crop was tobacco are not suitable for cultivation.

3. Fertilization: Before plowing, evenly broadcast 5-6 cubic meters of high-quality farmyard manure, 50 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, and 50 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer per mu.

4. Making raised beds: Plow the fertilized plot to a depth of 20 cm, level it, and harrow it fine. With a bed spacing of 180-200 cm, make raised beds 10-15 cm high with a surface width of 130-140 cm, and level the bed surface.

5. Sowing: From October 20 to November 20, evenly broadcast the seeds on the bed surface, then take soil from another bed to cover them to a thickness of 1 cm. Alternatively, open wide furrows on the bed surface with a row spacing of 5-10 cm and a furrow depth of 1 cm, evenly sow the seeds in the furrows, and then cover them level. For both drilling and broadcasting, the seeding rate is 2.5 kg per mu. After sowing, cover the bed surface with 8-10 cm of wheat straw and cover it with nylon net to prevent the wheat straw from being blown away. The main purpose of covering with straw is to keep warm and retain moisture and to prevent soil crusting. In early March of the following year, remove part of the wheat straw, but still leave a small amount of wheat straw (just enough to completely cover the bed surface). Field management is the same as for commercial Pseudostellaria heterophylla fields.