How to Grow Chuanxiong? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Techniques for the Medicinal Herb Chuanxiong

Site Selection and Land Preparation

ChuanxiongIt prefers sandy loam with a deep soil layer, loose and fertile texture, good drainage, and rich organic matter, ideally neutral or slightly acidic. Heavy clay soil, poor drainage, and low-lying land are not suitable for planting.

1. Lingzi nursery land: The main production areas in Sichuan cultivate the propagation material for chuanxiong, called "lingzi," usually on mountain land at an altitude of 900 m. On high mountains, a sunny slope is suitable; on low mountains, a semi-shaded, semi-sunny slope is suitable. Choose virgin wasteland; the soil may be somewhat clayey. After selecting the land, clear away dead branches and weeds, burn them on site to make ash as a base fertilizer, plow to a depth of 25-30 cm, level and harrow fine, and make beds 1.7-1.8 cm wide.

2. Planting land: For flatland cultivation, choose early rice fields, and the preceding crop before early rice is best one that had green manure incorporated. After the early rice harvest, clear away the rice stubble, open furrows 30 cm wide and 25 cm deep, make beds 1.5 m wide, spread 3000 kg of compost or barnyard manure on the bed surface, mix evenly with the topsoil, loosen and break up the soil finely, and shape it into a turtle-back form.

Propagation Methods

Chuanxiong is propagated vegetatively, using the stem nodes of the aboveground stems as propagation material, commonly called "lingzi." The main production areas cultivate "lingzi" in mountainous areas and plant chuanxiong on flatland. Growing lingzi on flatland affects rhizome growth and easily leads to pests, diseases, and degeneration, so it should not be used.

1. Cultivating "Lingzi"

(1) Planting: From late December to mid-January of the following year, earlier rather than later, dig up the chuanxiong rhizomes, remove the stems, leaves, soil, and fibrous roots; these are called "fuxiong." Transplant to high mountain areas before early February. When planting, open holes on the bed at a spacing of (20-30) cm × (20-30) cm, with holes 5-7 cm deep, and apply an appropriate amount of compost or livestock manure water in the holes. Plant one "fuxiong" per hole, with the bud pointing upward.

(2) Management: Seedlings emerge in early March. When the seedlings are 10-13 [cm] tall, expose the crown and thin the seedlings, revealing the upper part of the rhizome, and keep 8-12 robust, evenly thick aboveground stems, cutting off the rest from the base. After thinning, cultivate and weed once each time until late April, and topdress at the same time, applying 1000 kg of human and livestock manure water per mu, plus 50 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer.

2. Planting Early to mid-August is the suitable planting period; if too late, lower temperatures affect the accumulation of substances in the rhizome. Before planting, take out the lingzi stalks and remove those with pests or diseases, without buds, or with buds already sprouted. On a sunny day, open shallow horizontal furrows on the bed at a row spacing of 30 cm, with furrows 2-3 cm deep and a plant spacing of about 20 cm, planting 8 lingzi per row. Place the lingzi flat in the furrow with the buds pointing upward and press firmly; it should not be too deep or too shallow. Plant 2 lingzi at each end between rows, and every 5-10 rows plant 1 densely planted row of lingzi for filling gaps. After planting, cover the lingzi with fine fertile soil, cover with grass to retain moisture, and protect against heavy rain washout and strong sunlight.

Field Management

1. Cultivation and Weeding Carry out 4 times each year. About half a month after planting, after the seedlings are fully emerged, remove the covering grass and carry out the 1st cultivation and weeding.

Afterward, carry out once about every 20 days. Be careful to hoe the topsoil shallowly and never injure the roots. The first two times should be combined with thinning and filling gaps. In early to mid-January of the following year, when some leaves turn yellow and withered, first pull off the aboveground parts (called "hao dong yao" in production areas), then clean the field, rake the topsoil loose, and hill soil from between the rows around the roots to help the rhizomes overwinter safely.

2. Topdressing Combine with the first three cultivations and apply topdressing once each time, applying 1500-2000 kg of livestock manure water per mu, mixed with 50 kg of fermented cake fertilizer liquid, diluted with an appropriate amount of water, and applied in holes. After the 3rd topdressing, use a mixed fertilizer of plant ash, soil manure, decomposed cake fertilizer, etc., apply it in holes beside the plants, and then cover with soil. In early March of the following year, apply spring fertilizer, using 750 kg of livestock manure urine, 7.5 kg of ammonium sulfate, and 2.5 kg of potassium sulfate poured into the holes, which can increase rhizome yield.