Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Artificial Cultivation of Medicinal Perilla in Greenhouses

Perillais a wild vegetable that people enjoy eating. After October, wild perilla gradually becomes scarce. Perilla can be artificially cultivated in greenhouses to supply the market around New Year's Day and the Spring Festival. The key technical points for greenhouse cultivation are:

I. Land preparation and fertilization.

Perilla grows vigorously in fertile, loose soil. For greenhouse site selection, high-quality vegetable garden soil is preferable. Combined with plowing and land preparation, apply 1500 kg of decomposed human and livestock manure, 80 kg of rapeseed cake fertilizer, and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer. Mix soil and fertilizer evenly, level and refine the soil, and open beds at a width of 1.2-1.5 m (length depends on circumstances), with bed trenches about 30 cm wide (also serving as walkways).

II. Sowing and transplanting.

Perilla can be direct-seeded or raised as seedlings for transplanting. For artificial cultivation, the sowing period begins in early November and ends by the end of November. Direct seeding is mainly done in rows, with a row spacing of 20 cm. When 2 true leaves appear, thin the seedlings to a plant spacing of 8 cm (remove weak ones and keep strong ones). When 5 true leaves appear, thin again to a final spacing of 15 cm, leaving 10,000-12,000 plants per mu. While thinning, harvest the tender plants for market sale. For seedling transplanting, transplant 15-20 days after emergence, with a plant spacing of 15 cm and a row spacing of 20 cm, and water thoroughly to settle the roots.

III. Greenhouse management.

1. Greenhouse film management. Before November 20, the film at both ends of the greenhouse should be opened during the day and closed at night, with opening being the main practice. From late November to mid-December, depending on weather conditions, the film at both ends of the greenhouse should mainly remain closed. During this stage, ventilation should be strengthened to prevent high temperatures from scorching tender seedlings. From late December to early February of the following year, the main focus is heat preservation and frost prevention. Ventilation can be carried out for 1-2 hours at noon on sunny days. In case of strong cold wave weather, small arch sheds can be added over the planting beds inside the greenhouse to help preserve heat and promote normal growth.

2. Weeding and topdressing. In the early stage, weeding must be done promptly 10 days after transplanting or after final thinning in direct-seeded plots. At the same time, apply 5-8 kg of urea per mu as topdressing. Afterwards, depending on growth, spray 1% monopotassium phosphate on the leaves 2-3 times.

3. Disease and pest control. In winter greenhouse cultivation of perilla, disease prevention is the main focus. Common diseases mainly include powdery mildew and rust, which can be controlled by targeted spraying with agents such as 50% thiophanate-methyl at 1500 times dilution. If aphids cause damage, insecticides such as deltamethrin can be sprayed.

4. Pinching. Perilla has extremely strong branching ability. Pinching can promote branching, prevent flowering and leaf aging, and help achieve high quality and high yield. The best time for pinching is when the terminal bud has just completed flower bud differentiation.

5. Timely harvest for market. Generally, harvesting for market can begin successively in early January. After each harvest, promptly spray 1% monopotassium phosphate solution once. The harvest period can be extended to the end of March of the following year.