Key Technical Points for Harvesting and Origin Processing of Medicinal Peony

It can be harvested 3-5 years after planting, with 4 years being optimal. Roots harvested in August are called "summer goods," which have higher moisture content, are easier to process, and are tough in texture and white in color, but their quality and yield are both relatively low. Roots harvested in October are called "autumn goods," which are harder in texture and more difficult to process, but their quality and yield are both relatively high. Digging should be done on a sunny day. Dig out all the roots of the plant, shake off the soil, cut off the fresh roots, and pile them in a cool place for 1-2 days until they slightly lose moisture and become soft (commonly called "moisture running"). Remove the fibrous roots (peony rootlets), grip the fresh roots tightly with your hands, twist and split the root bark, and pull out the woody core. High-quality medicinal material Fengdan bark is never scraped; it is simply sun-dried directly. For root bark that is relatively thick and straight with sufficient starchy content, use a bamboo knife or a piece of broken bowl to scrape off the outer cork layer, then sun-dry it; this is called scraped peony bark, also known as Scraped Dan or Powdered Peony Bark. For root bark that is relatively thin with poor starchy content or has insect scars, do not scrape the outer bark but sun-dry it directly; this is called Lian Dan Pi, also known as Lian Pi Dan Pi, Lian Pi Dan, or Lian Dan. During processing, according to root thickness and starchy content, spread and dry the roots separately by different commercial specifications for convenient selling.

The fresh root yield of medicinal peony is 800-2000 kg per mu. The drying ratio is 30-35%.