How to grow the Chinese medicinal herb Scutellaria barbata? Sowing and management are key
Chinese medicinal herbScutellaria barbatagrowing it: sowing and management are very important
Site selection and land preparation: Loose, fertile sandy loam or loam is best. Plough the soil, and at the same time apply 2000 kg of farmyard manure per mu as a base fertilizer. Work the soil fine and level it, then make beds 1.3 m wide.
Propagation methods: Seed propagation is the main method, but division propagation can also be used. (1) Seed propagation is mostly by direct sowing, from late September to early October, in drills or holes. For drill sowing, open furrows at a row spacing of 25-30 cm, with a furrow depth of about 4 cm; for hole sowing, open holes at a hole spacing of about 27 cm.
When sowing, first put the seeds into plant ash mixed with livestock manure water and mix them into seed ash, then evenly scatter it into the furrows or holes, and cover with a layer of fine soil or plant ash no more than 0.5 cm thick. After sowing, the soil must be kept absolutely moist before emergence, and seedlings emerge about 20 days after sowing. Use 1.5-2 kg of seeds per mu. (2) Division propagation is carried out in spring and summer. Dig up the old roots of the plants, select vigorous plants free of pests and diseases for division, with 3-4 shoots per plant, and plant them in holes at a hole spacing of about 27 cm, then water after planting.
Field management:
1. Thinning and filling in seedlings: For direct-sown plants, thin the seedlings when they are 5-7 cm tall at a plant spacing of 4-5 cm, and fill in gaps at the same time. Transplanted seedlings for filling gaps should be moved with soil and watered after planting.
2. Cultivation and weeding: Carry out cultivation and weeding as soon as seedlings emerge, and do so promptly after every harvest thereafter.
3. Topdressing: Along with cultivation and weeding, apply 2000 kg of human and livestock manure water per mu each time.
Pest and disease control:
During the growth of Scutellaria barbata, almost no diseases occur. During the flowering period, it is prone to damage by aphids and cabbage black beetles. The former can be controlled with dimethoate, and the latter can be controlled by spraying with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% dichlorvos.
Seed-saving technique: In May-June, when the seeds gradually mature, harvest the fruiting branches in batches, dry them in the sun or in the shade, rub out the seeds, winnow away the stems and impurities, place them in cloth bags, and store them in a dry place. Continuous-cropping fields of Scutellaria barbata do not need to save seed; generally, the crop can be grown for 3-4 consecutive years before renewing the root seedlings once.