Off-Season Sowing -- A New Successful Method for Growing Medicinal Herbs

In northern China, medicinal herbs are generally sown mostly in spring and summer, which is a conventional practice. The vast number of herb growers have stuck to established routines and followed this practice for many years, experiencing both the joy of success and the frustration of failure. Sowing in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and storing in winter -- this is the natural order. There is nothing wrong with that. But if everything simply follows the natural order, there can be no innovation or development. The cultivation and development of medicinal herbs require an innovative spirit.

Many people have been exploring various aspects of the topic of medicinal herb cultivation. Some study pests and diseases of medicinal herbs, some study soil science, and others study fertilizer science and genetics, among other fields. In the early days of reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of reform, once said, “It does not matter whether a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat.” I think this saying applies equally to the medicinal herb cultivation industry -- that is, no matter what season you sow in, as long as you achieve successful cultivation and let the vast number of herb growers see real benefits, that is the ultimate goal.

Below I will discuss a few of my own ideas with everyone.

Winter Sowing

1. Timing and method of winter sowing: Before the Start of Winter (Lidong), the weather does not turn very cold right away. When the temperature is roughly 7-8 degrees above zero, we can apply fertilizer and prepare the land. After the land is prepared, check the soil moisture. If it is relatively dry, you can water to preserve moisture. After the water has seeped in, wait 1-2 days until a person can walk on the seedbed surface, and then we can sow. After sowing, to ensure the soil and seeds bind tightly together, we can use a large hoe to press down the sowing surface to prevent wind-drying from affecting seedling emergence. After sowing, because the ground temperature is relatively low, the seeds will not germinate and emerge. When the temperature drops to 0-1 degrees, we just need to water once with frozen water.

2. Benefits of winter sowing:

(1) Helps preserve soil moisture: Because after watering once with frozen water, once winter arrives, even if it does not snow, the seedbed surface will have a layer of loose soil, about 1-2 cm. The seeds beneath the loose soil will not be wind-dried. When the next spring arrives and the temperature rises, the seeds can smoothly germinate and emerge.

(2) Extends the growing period: Because winter sowing results in earlier seedling emergence compared with spring sowing the following year, the growing period is extended, the seedlings are strengthened and the occurrence of seedling death is reduced.

(3) Improves the plants' disease resistance. Every year, July-August is the season when medicinal plants are prone to diseases. At this time, high temperature and high humidity readily lead to pests and diseases, whereas plants sown in winter are already robust, have successfully passed through the disease-prone period, and thus lay a good foundation for high and stable yields of medicinal herbs.

The above represents only my personal views. Winter sowing requires specific analysis for specific varieties and should not be implemented blindly.