Detailed Explanation of Asparagus Fern Planting Techniques and Management Methods
The original plant of Asparagus Fern is Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr., a plant of the Liliaceae family. Aliases: Xiaoye Qing, Ming Dong, Sanbai Bang. It has the functions of nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, clearing heat and promoting body fluid production. It mainly treats whooping cough, dry throat and thirst, pulmonary tuberculosis with hemoptysis, and other conditions. It is mainly produced in Sichuan, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi and other provinces (regions), and is also distributed in Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and other places.
[Growth Habits] It prefers a warm, humid environment and is not tolerant of severe cold. It avoids direct strong light; especially seedlings, once exposed to scorching sun, have their stem tips turn yellow and wither, so moderate shading or intercropping with trees and medicinal herbs is necessary. Deep, fertile sandy loam or humus soil is best for the soil; clay soil is not suitable for planting.
[Propagation Method] Division propagation.
1. Site selection and land preparation: Choose land with deep soil layers, fertile soil quality and good drainage, either sandy loam or land rich in humus, as the cultivation site. Deeply plow the land, level it with a rake, then make high beds 130 cm wide.
2. Division propagation: Combined with harvesting, divide robust mother plants into several plants, each plant should carry 1-2 buds or 2—3 small tuberous roots as seedlings, and plant them at a spacing of 40 cm X 40 cm (after covering with soil, spray acetochlor to seal grass seeds; after spraying, grass seed germination can be prevented for 40 days). If farmyard manure is available at planting, some can be applied between the plants, or some phosphate fertilizer can be added.
[Field Management]
1. Cultivation and weeding: Weed frequently. In the first half of the first year of planting, use manual weeding; only in the second half of the year may the special herbicide ametryn be used (do not use the small inner packet; the small packet contains 246-methyl, and can be mixed for weeds on field ridges) for safe weeding. Generally, 6 days after spraying, the grass turns yellow and dies.
2. Topdressing: After planting, combined with cultivation and weeding, apply human and livestock manure water once each in March-April and June-July. Alternatively, 15 kg of urea (or compound fertilizer) per mu can be diluted with water and poured on, once every 1 month. In September-October, apply farmyard manure once and earth up the soil. Thereafter, each year before sprouting (that is, before the Spring Festival), apply 2 000—2 500 kg of stable manure per mu, and the other two applications are the same as in the first year.
[Harvesting and Processing]
Asparagus Fern uses its tuberous roots as medicine. It can be harvested 2-3 years after field planting, and the yield is higher after 4-5 years. From September to before sprouting the following spring, dig out the tuberous roots, remove the fibrous roots, wash them clean, then boil them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes (until the skin is easy to peel), take them out and peel off the outer skin, bake until 80 percent dry, fumigate with sulfur for 10 hours, then sun-dry and it is ready.