Detailed explanation of high-yield cultivation techniques for Scutellaria barbata, easily grow a good harvest

Scutellaria barbata, also known as narrow-leaf skullcap, toothbrush grass, twin-head grass, four-square horse orchid, etc. The whole plant is used medicinally; it has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and fighting cancer. It mainly treats tumors, appendicitis, hepatitis, cirrhotic ascites, intestinal abscess, and other conditions. It has particularly good efficacy against lung cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and cervical cancer. For external use, it treats mastitis, boils and swellings, venomous snake bites, bruises and injuries, and other conditions. It is mainly produced in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian, Shaanxi, Henan, and other provinces.

Morphological characteristics: It is a perennial erect herb of the Lamiaceae family, 10-30 cm tall or taller; the rhizome is short and bears many fibrous roots; branched or unbranched, the tender parts sparsely covered with fine soft hairs. Leaves opposite, with short petioles or nearly sessile; leaf blades papery, usually lanceolate, 1.3-3.2 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide or more, apex shortly pointed or with slightly blunt teeth, the underside often tinged purple, both surfaces flat or slightly cordate, sometimes broadly cuneate-tipped, margins sparsely toothed, veins covered with soft hairs. Flowers open in late spring and early summer, purple-blue, axillary on the upper part of stems and branches or forming one-sided racemes, the floral leaves gradually shrinking from bottom to top, the uppermost bract-like, 2-4.5 mm long; calyx about 2 mm long, ciliate, the scutellum on the back of the upper lip lobe about 1 mm long; corolla 9-13 mm long, covered with soft hairs, the corolla tube saccate at the base, the upper lip of the corolla limb helmet-shaped, 1.5 mm long, the middle lobe of the lower lip broad and large, 2.5 mm long; the anterior stamens are longer, with only 1 anther cell developed, while the posterior stamens have both anther cells developed. Nutlets flattened-globose, about 1 mm in diameter, with wart-like protuberances, concealed within the enlarged persistent calyx.

I. Growth habits

Scutellaria barbata prefers a warm, humid, and shaded environment. It has low requirements for soil, but deep, loose, fertile sandy loam or humus loam rich in organic matter is best. Heavy clay, saline-alkali land, and low-lying land are not suitable for planting.

II. Land preparation and fertilization

Choose a field with high terrain and good drainage, and plow and harrow carefully. In combination with land preparation, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 3000 kg of farmyard manure, 20 kg of urea, and 50 kg of phosphate and potassium fertilizer per mu. Then make beds and wait for sowing.

III. Sowing

Scutellaria barbata is propagated by seeds, and can also be propagated by division. The sowing period is divided into spring sowing and autumn sowing. Spring sowing is around Qingming, and autumn sowing is before the ground freezes. Seed propagation: divided into seedling raising and transplanting, and direct sowing. Seedling raising: evenly scatter Scutellaria barbata seeds on the prepared bed surface, loosen the surface soil so that the soil covers the seeds. Water to preserve moisture and promote emergence. After the seedlings are fully established, strengthen management; when the seedlings are 5—10 cm tall, they can be transplanted. The sowing rate is 2 kg per mu. Transplanting: transplant the cultivated Scutellaria barbata seedlings at a row spacing of 20×10 cm on the prepared bed surface, water to preserve moisture, and promote survival. Direct sowing: before sowing, first use a drill to open shallow furrows on the prepared bed surface, then evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows. Turn the rake over to level the bed surface so that the soil covers the seeds, water to preserve moisture, and promote emergence. The sowing rate is 1 kg per mu. Division propagation: select robust plants free of pests and diseases, dig out the rhizomes, and divide them into several pieces according to the number of fibrous roots, then plant them at a row spacing of 30×10 cm on the prepared bed surface. Water to preserve moisture and promote survival.

IV. Field management

After the Scutellaria barbata seedlings are fully established, attention should be paid to cultivating and weeding. Water promptly in dry weather, and drain immediately in rainy weather. Scutellaria barbata can be harvested several times each year; after each harvest, apply fertilizer once: each time apply 10 kg of urea and 5 kg of monopotassium phosphate. This promotes early regrowth and rapid growth.

V. Pest and disease control

Scutellaria barbata has relatively few diseases; if found, control them promptly by conventional methods. The main pests include aphids, which can be controlled with aphid-killing agents. Cabbage butterfly larvae can be killed with pyrethroid pesticides. For underground pests, use phoxim mixed with poison bait to trap and kill them.

VI. Harvesting and processing

After transplanting, Scutellaria barbata can be harvested 4—5 times each year. The first time is in early June; the second time is in early August; the third time is in mid-September; the fourth time is in mid-to-late November. Choose a sunny day, cut the Scutellaria barbata plants down at the root, dry them in the sun, and they can be sold as medicine. The total annual yield per mu is 500—800 kg. The best quality is deep-dried, free of impurities, with stems and branches bearing flower spikes and a green-blue color.